


Lovely Day for a Reunion

by jessm78



Series: Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter [3]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Friendship, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:36:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27674807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessm78/pseuds/jessm78
Summary: The Doctor and Jamie receive a distress call about an old friend whose life is in danger. They come face to face with an alien race from the Time Lord's past, one he was sure seemed a bit more … benign in those days. Takes place directly after Mistaken Identity. Third in the Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter series.
Series: Twist of Tartan: The Next Chapter [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764268
Comments: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read the previous stories in this series, I guess it goes without saying that the "Jamie McCrimmon" mentioned in the list of characters is actually Jamie's son of the same (practically) name. Also, although I've labeled this story as F/M, it's more in the way of feelings developing, not full-blown romance. I'd say it might belong more on the Gen side, but I wasn't sure how exactly to label this. I hope it doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the story! Zoe's daughter Alana was first introduced in "Reunion" from my "Time with a Twist of Tartan" series... there will be more info about her in the next chapter as well.

“Wha's happening?!” Jamie cried over the loud, urgent noise that suddenly filled the TARDIS console room. It sounded like a distress signal.

The Doctor's gaze was back on the console. “I'm receiving some sort of transmission,” he replied, alarmed as he studied the screen. “A message.”

“Who from?”

“I've no idea!”

The noise finally dimmed to a tolerable level as the Doctor pressed a few buttons. Jamie was at his side, brow furrowed as he read the screen. There were no pictures or video, and he couldn't make heads or tails out of all the technical mumbo-jumbo that quickly appeared.

He watched the Doctor push another button and a voice was soon heard ...

“Doctor! I don't know if you'll hear this, but we need your help!”

Jamie's jaw dropped in shock. The voice was female, and vaguely familiar.

“They're taking over the station!” it continued desperately. “Please, help!!”

Jamie shared a look with the Doctor, his expression of shock a perfect mirror image.

“Zoe??” the Time Lord uttered in surprise.

The voice wasn't finished, however ...

“They've got Mum. They've taken her away!!”

“'Mum'?!” Jamie exclaimed incredulously as he turned to the Doctor. A sudden realization quickly overtook his confusion and his eyes widened. “Hey, Doctor, it's no' Zoe! It's ...”

“... Alana,” the Doctor finished, appearing nearly stunned into silence. “Zoe's daughter.”


	2. One

Jamie stared at the screen, gobsmacked as the familiar voice of a young girl continued on desperately. The voice that apparently belonged to someone he'd once known, albeit briefly: Zoe's daughter, Alana.

She had told them she needed their help, but he could no longer hear what she was saying.

He was suddenly thrown back in time, back in that dark, abandoned building where he and Zoe had been held prisoner by those Talpa aliens. Zoe was lying on the cold floor, writhing in pain and crying out as she'd gone into labor. Being such a young boy at the time, Jamie was both frightened but mesmerized at the same time, having never witnessed such an event before.

Luckily his da and a few others had soon found them and attended to Zoe, his da being the one who delivered the baby. Jamie himself watched as she made her entrance into the world. He was shocked at how tiny and pink, and … wet, she was. Not much later, he'd also helped his mum look after her while Zoe and his da had gone out to get food and spend some quality time together. He'd helped her put Alana down for a nap, even sing her to sleep for a while.

And now here she was, calling out to them for help. Jamie couldn't help feeling a bit odd at the moment.

“Jamie?”

He barely heard the voice next to him as he continued to think of Alana. How old would she be now? He himself was twenty-two, and had been six when she was born. That would make her … sixteen? No, not necessarily. The Doctor had recently mentioned something to him about time being relative, so …

“Jamie!”

The sensation of a hand nudging his shoulder finally ripped him from his thoughts and he turned to find the Doctor right next to him, gazing at him pointedly.

“Um...?” He uttered, still feeling a bit distracted. He shook his head slightly in a vain attempt to bring himself back down to Earth … well, back to the TARDIS, anyway. The Doctor's impatient expression seemed to morph into one of sympathy.

“You all right?” he questioned.

Jamie sighed. “Aye, 'm all right.”

“Don't get lost on me,” the Time Lord said, wagging a playful scolding finger at him.

Jamie felt the corner of his mouth twitch into a rueful smile. “Sorry, Doctor. I jus' … I cannae believe it's her. I wonder what she looks like now. Last time I saw her she was a wee pink thing waitin' for Mum tae change her nappies ...” He abruptly stopped and his cheeks flamed as he heard the Doctor snickering softly in amusement.

He lobbed a glare in the Time Lord's direction and his friend instantly held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, I'd forgotten all about that,” he told Jamie with a fond smile. “Anyway, it seems you've not heard a word of what I'd said earlier. I set a course for the Wheel, so with any luck we should be there within the next ...” He stopped to peer at his watch. “... Oh, twenty or so sec --”

The Doctor was cut off as the TARDIS gave a violent lurch to the right and then began shaking uncontrollably. Jamie grabbed at the console in an attempt to steady himself.

“What's happening, Doctor? She's gone mad!!”

“I don't know, Jamie!” the Doctor shouted back. “Some sort of disturbance within the Time Vortex? No, can't be that, not to such an extent, anyway ...” His brow furrowed. Jamie could tell his mind was desperately reeling, trying to come up with an answer for the ship's erratic behavior. “Hm. Wonder if it's some signal or other from another ship that could be causing it?”

“Eh? What kinda ship?”

The Doctor shrugged helplessly just as the jostling finally began to subside a bit. “Dunno. But there's no telling who else could be out there.” Before either of them could speculate further, the TARDIS' movements returned to normal, followed by the familiar dematerialization wheezing which signaled the arrival at their destination.

Jamie blinked and looked warily around the room. Yes, things seemed to have returned to normal. He then caught the Doctor gazing at the screen, the view depicting a plain, white-walled atmosphere.

“Well!” the Time Lord declared. “I believe we've arrived, young Jamie. Let's find out what's going on.” He suddenly stopped, his brow furrowing in thought. “Though I wonder what alias I should use. Can't use 'John Smith' as they might be expecting the little bloke with the Beatles haircut and recorder. And I certainly can't use 'Doctor James McCrimmon' ...”

Jamie regarded him in confusion, especially as he had uttered the last bit with a hint of a Scots accent.

The Doctor seemed to notice as he finally turned to meet his gaze. “Long story best saved for another time,” he muttered with a dismissive shake of his head. “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.” His gaze returned to the console and he'd pushed a button, after which the TARDIS doors opened.

Jamie's eyes widened as a thought suddenly occurred to him. “Hey! How aboot … 'Doctor Duncan McLeod'?” He grinned expectantly at the Doctor, feeling a bit proud of himself for thinking up that moniker so spur-of-the-moment.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed in thought. “Hm. I'll think about it,” he said quickly before gesturing to the young man to join him.

Jamie regarded him in disappointment for a moment before quickly reminding himself of the dire situation awaiting them. He rushed to catch up to the Doctor who by now was nearly at the doors.

He followed the Time Lord out of the TARDIS and into the Wheel's corridors. Jamie squinted as he gazed around, the bright white, clinical atmosphere of the Wheel's corridors being a bit of a jolt to his eyesight after having been in the more dark surroundings of the ship's console room.

“All right, follow my lead,” the Doctor began earnestly. “We'll try to find someone who can tell us where Zoe's daughter is. Oh, and Jamie?”

Satisfied that his eyes had finally adjusted to the abrupt change in lighting, Jamie regarded him expectantly.

“When you see her again, it's natural you'd feel nostalgic, want to catch up and all that. But, um ... best not to bring up what a 'wee pink thing' she was. Yeah?”

“Oh, aye,” Jamie began with a nod before suddenly cutting himself off, his brow furrowing in confusion for a brief moment. Finally he shrugged and quickened his pace, doing his best to keep up with his friend.

They'd walked the equivalent of half a block before they were stopped by two men in uniform: one middle aged with dark hair that was graying at the temples, and another with blonde hair who appeared closer in age to Jamie. Both men were quite a bit taller than he.

“Who are you?” the younger man suddenly asked, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.

“Er, well ...” the Doctor began, his eyebrows shooting up. Jamie tried hard to resist a grin. It was obvious the Time Lord hadn't thought through a cover story all that well. “I'm ...”

“The Doctor,” the older man interrupted, a slight smile on his face. “Yes, we've been expecting you.”

“How's that?” the Doctor asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I mean, look at me. I've gone through a bit of a makeover since we last chatted.” Jamie's reaction matched the Time Lord's as he stared at them, waiting for an explanation.

“Senior Technician Stevenson?” the blonde young man spoke to his older counterpart, appearing confused as well.

“Who's this Stevenson fella?” Jamie asked the Doctor as he leaned into him, his voice barely above a whisper.

Apparently the other man had overheard. “Mark Stevenson,” he said, approaching closer with his hand extended. “You may remember me as Zoe's husband.”

Jamie felt his cheeks flame as he accepted the other man's hand and shook it. He gazed up at the man in apology. Mark didn't seem to mind if the disarming smile and slight shake of his head were anything to go by. “Aye, I remember ye a wee bit,” he said awkwardly. “I'm Jamie.”

Some familiarity lit up the older man's eyes. “Ah, yes. You're Zoe's old friend, the Scotsman in the kilt.” His brow furrowed in confusion. “But you can't be. You were … older then.”

Jamie chuckled. “No, that was my Da. Ye might remember me as 'Wee Jamie', his son. I was but a wee laddie at the time, ye see.”

Mark smiled sheepishly. “Goodness me, my apologies. It has been a while, hasn't it.”

Jamie suddenly felt a particular memory hit him: he and his parents saying goodbye to Zoe and Alana before they returned to the Wheel to be reunited with Mark. Jamie felt himself grow a bit sad at the memory. Although he hadn't known Alana very long, he'd enjoyed looking after her with his mum. He'd also felt sad for his da, seeing how much he would miss Zoe. He himself knew he would miss her a great deal as well.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he witnessed the Doctor shaking the other man's hand as well. “Well, it's good to see you again, Mark, although obviously I wish it were under better circumstances.”

The other man's smile faded into a grim line as he nodded.

“What's happened to Zoe?” Jamie asked. “Alana said 'they' took her. Who's 'they'?”

Mark sighed, his expression becoming world-weary. Jamie couldn't blame him. “Let's just say we've had a bit of an infestation,” he replied, gesturing for them to follow him down the corridor. He'd nodded past several people outfitted in what appeared to be hazmat suits with weapons of some sort.

“An 'infestation'? How do you mean?” the Doctor asked.

“I'll let her tell you herself,” Mark replied. He seemed to search about the room before turning to a mid-thirty-ish blonde female technician. “Have you seen Alana?”

“She was here a moment ago.”

Mark sighed in apparent frustration. “Alana!!” he called.

“I'm right here, Daddy,” an impatient voice suddenly piped up behind them. “You don't have to ...”

Jamie wheeled around and felt his jaw drop as he came face-to-face with the voice's owner.

“... Shout.”

Her voice trailed off and she appeared almost transfixed as she stared at them. Her eyes then narrowed almost in suspicion. “Who are you?” she asked.

Jamie felt himself blush as he realized he'd lost the ability to speak.

* * *

The Doctor stood in shock, gaping at the young girl appearing not ten feet in front of him. She resembled her mother so very much it left him in awe: slim and petite with elfin facial features and the same straight, dark brown hair; the only difference being she wore her hair long, tumbling halfway down her back. Although she appeared quite serious at the moment, the Time Lord didn't doubt she could manage a mischievous smile as well as her mother could. She wore a dark, sleeveless jumpsuit with a lighter long-sleeved tunic underneath. If not for the hair, she could very well _be_ her mother; the resemblance was remarkable.

She'd then uttered a tiny cough and the Time Lord noticed an uncomfortable expression on her face. Blimey, of course she'd feel that way given how they'd been staring at her. The Doctor briefly looked away and then regarded her apologetically. “Sorry,” he muttered before nearing the girl a bit closer. He smiled gently at her. “Alana, I presume?”

She nodded, her curiosity returning.

“You may not recognize us, but we go back a very, _very_ long way. Your mother was a friend of mine. I'm the Doctor, and this is Jamie.”

“A pleasure to meet you both,” she replied with a polite nod. “I must thank you for answering my distress call.” She suddenly swallowed hard and her expression changed, eyes wide with worry. “Please, you've got to help. They've taken Mum away and it's all my fault!”

Mark approached her, laying a hand on her shoulder. “Alana, you mustn't--”

“No!” she objected sharply. “It _is_ all my fault! She could be in grave danger all because of me!”

The Doctor felt his hearts breaking. The girl had first presented herself as cool and collected but it was obvious she was quite eaten up with fear.

The Time Lord bent slightly so that he was eye level with her. “Calm yourself, Alana. We're here to help. Now, tell me the whole thing,” he prompted quietly. “What kind of aliens took her?"

He watched the girl hold her hands out in front of her and take a deep breath, slowly letting it out. “I … I don't know, exactly,” she admitted in a small voice. “But they resembled some sort of giant arthropods.”

“Eh? Ye mean giant insects??” Jamie interjected.

Alana nodded vehemently. “Yes, like ants.”

The Doctor's jaw went slack as he felt a sudden, sick twinge of something akin to deja vu. “Can you describe for me exactly what they look like?”

“I'll show you,” Mark cut in. “They should be on the surveillance footage.” He turned to a male technician sitting at one of the consoles. “Call up the visual footage from Camera 6B.” The technician nodded and began tapping a few keys on the keyboard in front of him. After a moment he nodded, gesturing to the screen.

Nearing the console, the Doctor stared in shock at the creatures who filled the screen. “Blimey,” he breathed.

Hearing footsteps, he turned to find Jamie next to him, his face contorted in confusion at the screen. “What _are_ those things, Doctor??” he inquired softly.

The Time Lord heaved an explosive breath. “Well, I'm ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine percent sure they are the Zarbi, Jamie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling the chapters in this story will be somewhat shorter than usual in my stories to date, lol. I'll try to add pics along the way too. Here is one of the Doctor and Jamie seeing Alana for the first time (please try to ignore the shoddy Photoshop lol).


	3. Two

“Zarbi?”

Turning to face his young friends, the Doctor bit back some amusement over the very different reactions on their faces. Jamie appeared hopelessly confused while Alana's panic seemed to have subsided and was now replaced by an inquisitive expression so reminiscent of her mother.

He sighed again. He still couldn't believe what was staring back at him on the surveillance footage. It had been years since he had last seen these creatures, back on the planet Vortis with Barbara, Ian and Vicki. They were the last species he'd ever expect to stumble upon.

And they had now taken an old friend of his hostage.

“Doctor?”

Alana's voice cut through his ruminations and he met their concerned gazes.

“Sorry. Um ...” He stopped to scrub a hand through his hair. “They're giant, ant-like creatures I encountered on a planet called Vortis many, _many_ years ago. They had shared the planet with another insect-like creature, the Menoptera, which looked sort of like anthropomorphic butterflies. Anyway, they'd lived peacefully together until the Zarbi somehow evolved to develop flight and deadly stingers. With that they'd begun to attack the Menoptera. They were mind-controlled by the Animus – large, nasty, brain-like … thing.”

He trailed off and looked away. This was a lot of information for them to digest and he wasn't exactly presenting it in a coherent manner. Not only that, but time was of the essence.

Returning his gaze, he found the group actually engaged, patiently waiting for him to continue.

“To sum up, they weren't exactly the friendliest creatures I've ever met – they even attacked the TARDIS when we first arrived – but once the Animus had been killed, they had returned to their previous docile state. Much like cattle standing about in a field and grazing.” A smile briefly twitched at his lips before he uttered a mournful 'moooo.' Catching the incredulous expressions on not only his young friends' faces but Mark's as well, he felt some heat rising in his cheeks. “Never mind,” he told them with a dismissive shake of his head. “Anyway, it's been ages since I've encountered them. Never for a second did I expect to cross paths with them again.”

He felt his hearts breaking as he caught Alana watching the footage on the monitor, great distress etched across her face. “Can you please switch that off?” she nearly begged the technician.

“You did the right thing in contacting us, Alana,” the Doctor told her as he held her gaze with a hint of a sad smile. A thought suddenly occurring to him, his brows drew together. “May I ask how you were able to contact us?”

Alana immediately turned to her father. “Go ahead,” he prompted her, holding out a hand.

Nodding, she heaved a sigh and gazed at her hands. The poor girl suddenly appeared so overwhelmed, the drawn look to her face making her seem older than her teenage years. It was more than obvious how worried she was for her mother. The Time Lord couldn't deny he was as well, and that's why it was important to get this information as quickly as possible.

“Alana, if you want to help your mother ...” he began.

* * *

_One hour earlier_

Thumbing through the sheets of paper that comprised her report, Alana smiled in satisfaction. Yes, they were all in perfect order, not a blemish or typographical error anywhere. It was a typical day at the Wheel, however she was not one to complain. She did find comfort in routine although there was just a small part of her that yearned for something a bit more different; a bit more exciting. It seemed the chances of that occurring were rather slim, however, so she inwardly shrugged and kept at her work.

Having completed her daily report on the levels of Terranum she'd observed in the lab, she began her journey down the corridor to inform Doctor Alan Lernov, the head scientist. Yes, he was bound to be pleased with this news.

She had nearly reached his office when she suddenly witnessed a group of people running and screaming from the direction she'd just come. One of them was Alexandria Cunningham, one of the technicians. “What's going on?!” Alana asked the other girl. She frowned upon receiving no answer.

That was rather short-lived as she caught a glimpse four large, brown, ant-like creatures plodding forward. Alana's eyes widened as she took in their appearance. They were bipedal, wore some sort of blue uniforms which reached the lower half of their abdomens. Some odd-looking panels covered their upper abdomens as well.

She soon realized why.

“Give us the element!!” they shouted in loud, sort of chirpy mechanical voices. It seemed the panels were some sort of computerized voice box. She was curious about how such a contraption worked but quickly shook herself out of her reverie; now was not the time to think so deeply about such things.

“What 'element?” she asked.

To her surprise, the hostile creatures simply ignored her and rushed in the direction of the main control room. They closed around a random technician. “Where is the element?!!” they demanded.

The surprised young man boggled up at them “I … what are you talking about??” he asked. “You mean the Terran--”

“No!” Alana suddenly shouted as she rushed towards them. “I mean … We don't have such an element!” She felt herself growing nervous as they all turned to look at her.

“Lies!” one of the creatures bellowed. “We were able to intercept a transmission from your vessel which contained information regarding the basic element needed to fuel our weapons system. We are not stupid; we know you have a stockpile of this element we require!!”

“No, that's not true!” Alana insisted. “Not here, anyway,” she added quietly.

The creatures seemed to take an interest in her and approached her closely. The petite teenager felt a shiver go up her spine as one sidled up to her, reached forward and traced a line down the side of her face with its claw-like appendage.

“You will tell us where your stockpile is located,” it told her in a disturbingly calm voice, “and you will give it up or face consequences.”

Before she could even begin to say anything (not that she even knew what to say), she watched her father rise from his seat, glaring at the creature. “You are in no position to make demands,” he said, the anger in his voice palpable.

Alana's breath hitched as she felt something suddenly digging into her side. Turning her head ever so slightly, her eyes fell upon some sort of gun.

“You will tell us, or she will die,” the ant-like creature insisted.

Alana tried to temper the panic threatening to explode within her as she desperately gazed at her father. He actually seemed lost for a moment.

“What's going on?!!” a new voice demanded. Alana turned in its direction and felt a bit of relief wash over her as she found her mother rushing out of a side office; no, the Parapsychology Library where she worked, the girl corrected herself. She felt the creature's grip on her loosen somewhat and the gun was no longer pressed into her side, but they still didn't allow her any means of escape.

Her mother looked horrified. “No!! Leave her alone! She's just a girl!” she shouted.

The creature laughed in reply. “Just a girl. A girl who seems to know quite a bit about the element we require!”

Alana watched as her mother slowly but purposefully strolled up to them, her jaw set in a glare and her eyes piercing. “Leave her alone,” she demanded, her voice filled with quiet anger.

The creature's grip on Alana loosened more still and she quickly scanned the room, looking for a means of escape …

“Take me instead,” Zoe continued.

Alana's eyes widened in horror. “Mum! No!!”

For a brief moment, her mother held her gaze. Alana felt tears welling up in her eyes as she witnessed the worry, yet love and devotion her mother was communicating to her.

“Mum. No,” she repeated softly, her voice faltering as she tried hard to prevent her tears from falling.

Zoe cried out as one of the giant ants suddenly grabbed her and stuck its gun-like weapon into her side. “Where is the relay station that houses your stockpile?!” it demanded.

Alana felt her heart speed up; her sheer terror had returned and was threatening to consume her. She knew the location of the relay station but she couldn't give it away. If she did, not only would their Terranum stockpile be threatened by these creatures, but also the lives of the technicians working there.

But they were now threatening her mother ...

“Tell us!! Or we will kill her,” the creature continued, digging its weapon further into Zoe's side.

“It's five-point-two miles due west!” she blurted, pointing vaguely in the direction.

Despite the ant-mens' lack of expression, they seemed quite satisfied to obtain this information. She gazed at them, silently pleading for them to let her mother go.

The one creature holding Zoe dug the weapon further into her side and she heard it being cocked.

“No!!” she screamed.

“Get the vessel ready!” it directed one of the other creatures, which fled the room. Instead of harming Zoe, it merely tightened its grip on her.

For another moment, Zoe locked eyes with her. “The Doctor,” she uttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alana felt her brows draw together in confusion. “What?”

“The Doctor,” her mother repeated surreptitiously. “Call him.”

Alana gazed at her incredulously before she suddenly realized who her mother was talking about. She'd often told her stories about the eccentric little man with whom she had traveled, about the interesting aliens they had met, both friend and foe. He had shunned violence for the most part and relied on his wits to get them out of sticky situations. Yes, this had to be the man her mother was referring to.

But how could she 'call' him? She had no idea where he was or how to reach him! Before she could say anything else, the creature holding her mother quickly ran from the room after its mates. She quickly turned to her father.

“Armin, alert the guards at the landing bay for these hostiles,” he hastily directed one of the technicians.

“Yes, Sir,” the other man replied, reaching for his radio.

Alana desperately looked about the room, wondering why most of the inhabitants were merely going about their everyday business. A crisis had now taken hold of the station and this was their reaction?!

She rushed up to her father. “Daddy, we've got to do something! They've got Mum!”

“I know, Alana. I know,” he replied calmly. His shaken countenance painted a different picture, however.

“Well, come on, then!” the girl demanded.

“It'll take some time for us to get a rescue team up and running, plus gather our weapons.” The fact he appeared at a loss left her frustrated. Perhaps she should cut him some slack; after all, this had all happened so quickly.

But they had taken her mum!!

Apparently he'd noticed her frustration. “Darling, you must understand it's been ages since we were attacked by any hostiles.” He sighed. “If only we had some kind of help.”

Finally she had the perfect opening. “Mum said something about the Doctor. She said to call him.”

Her father looked confused momentarily before his eyes lit up in realization.

“Yes, the Doctor,” he said. A brief bit of emotion seemed to cross his face. “He will know what to do.”

* * *

“So, when Mum mentioned your name and that I should call you, I reckoned you were in a position to help us,” Alana finished.

Jamie gazed at her sympathetically, his heart breaking for her. Quickly approaching her, he laid a hand on her shoulder, almost expecting her to flinch.

To his surprise, she didn't. She quickly turned to face him and appeared a bit surprised at the sudden gesture, but in the end simply looked away and heaved a sigh. So much had happened to the poor lass in such a short time. She'd turned to meet his gaze once again, the look in her eyes nearly one of gratitude.

Mark had briefly locked eyes with them and then nodded as he turned back to the Doctor. “Yes, she asked me how we could contact you and I recalled the communicator you'd given Zoe in order to stay in touch. We tried to contact you over that, but it wasn't working.”

The Doctor's cheeks flushed. “Oh, er, it's funny you mention that. I, um … seem to have misplaced it.” Jamie turned to him, eyeing him accusingly until he looked away. “Yeah, well, it was five incarnations ago...”

Alana stepped in. “I then asked my father for the transmission code for your ship.”

Jamie turned to the older man in surprise. The Doctor wore a matching expression.

Mark held up a hand. “I remembered having obtained your signal the first time, when you had brought Zoe back. It was stored in our memory bank so I had Alana try to establish contact from that.”

“Ah, I see,” the Doctor said after a beat, a look of realization lighting up his face. Jamie watched him approach the surveillance monitors again. “Mind calling up that footage again?” he asked the technician.

Once the man had done so, Jamie joined the Time Lord as he studied the footage. He frowned as he watched the strange ant-like creatures storm the area and threaten the Wheel's inhabitants.

“Vile beasties,” he muttered in disgust.

The Doctor had briefly turned to acknowledge him before looking at the screen once more. “Yep, they seem to have evolved quite a bit since my last encounter with them. Back then they communicated via a loud, beeping ultrasonic noise. They've somehow learnt to develop speech. My guess is it's from that device there.” He pointed to a box-like contraption on one of the creature's upper abdomens.

“Aye.” Jamie's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the footage. He tried to study everything regarding the Zarbi: their anatomy (what little he could see that wasn't covered by their uniforms), their weapons … anything that would help come up with some plan to overpower them so they could rescue Zoe. The Doctor has tangled with them before; perhaps he knew of a way.

“Hey, Doctor, can ye think of any sort of weakness of theirs we could use tae defeat them? Mebbe turn their weapons against them an' blow them tae Kingdom Come?”

He nearly got whiplash as the Doctor quickly turned to him, eyeing him pointedly. “Don't go there just yet, Jamie,” he said in a warning tone. “Just … don't.”

Jamie's jaw went slack. “Eh? But they've got Zoe!” he objected.

“I know, I know!” the Doctor cut him off sharply. “We will find a way to overpower them, I promise. But we've got to come up with several plans. Plan A, Plan B, Plan C …. hopefully not a Plan D.”

“Och,” Jamie exclaimed and then sighed. He couldn't help being frustrated. Zoe was captive of these aliens. They needed to come up with a plan to rescue her as quickly as possible. He turned to Mark. “Do ye know how or where they took her?”

“Most likely in their ship,” the other man replied. “When we got to the landing bay we found the guards on duty unconscious. We assume the aliens had done this when they first arrived. Once they came to, we questioned them and they described them accurately. As for where they'd taken Zoe, it would seem she's at the relay station. At least we hope so.”

Jamie nodded grimly and, hearing soft footsteps, turned to find Alana standing beside him. “What's that element stuff ye were talkin' aboot? Can ye tell us more aboot it?”

“Yes, it's called Terranum,” Alana replied. “It's the basic element comprising the fuel needed to power the Wheel. It helps keep the lights on, maintains the heating and cooling systems, keeps the computer systems running, pretty much everything.”

Jamie nodded. “Ye seem tae know an awful lot aboot it.”

“Well, it's my background. I'm a scientist with disciplines in biology as well as geology and chemistry.” She smiled, seemingly proud of herself. Jamie expected to find it annoying, but actually couldn't help being a bit impressed. “I've been studying it for quite some time, you see. I've discovered minerals found in certain rocks are rich in it. Our team of scientists have a found a way to extract it, and, eventually, turn it into the fuel we need.”

Jamie's eyes narrowed in thought as he took in all this information, trying hard to relate it to the current predicament. “Now, ye said these beasties told ye they needed it as well. How did they know ye had it stored here?”

The girl bit her lip in apparent frustration. “I document the supply and transmit a copy of the record to the relay station between our Wheel and the others. Information from each Wheel is stored there as backup in case of an emergency. I usually encrypt the transmissions for security purposes.”

“Not that we expect any hostiles to intercept it, mind you, but you can never be too careful,” Mark added. He then turned to Alana, prompting her to continue.

She seemed on the verge of saying something when her eyes suddenly widened and Jamie witnessed her cheeks flushing. “Oh, no,” she breathed.

“What?” the Doctor asked.

Alana turned to her father. “I .. I'm not sure if I actually transmitted the most recent record copy!” She then rushed up to one of the technicians, asking her to check. Jamie couldn't hear the rest of their exchange, but the way the girl's face turned beet red and she appeared nearly on the verge of tears, he knew it wasn't good.

“It was transmitted,” she announced tersely once she returned.

“Well, that's good, isn't it?” Jamie asked her.

“No!” she snapped. Jamie winced slightly in reaction and she'd quickly eyed him contritely. “It was transmitted but I'd failed to encrypt it. That must be how these aliens were able to intercept it.” Her lip trembled as she appeared to be fighting back tears but failed in the end. “It's all my fault. And now Mum could die because of me!”

Mark smoothed her hair back and held her close. “It was an honest mistake, darling.”

The girl failed to answer him as she lowered her head and cried silently.

Jamie felt his heart overflowing with sympathy. “Don' blame yerself, lass,” he told her. “Ye had no idea these beasties were prowlin' around out there an' could steal yer data in the first place.” He sighed sadly. The poor girl seemed inconsolable. He turned to the Doctor, regarding him expectantly. “So what's the plan, Doctor?”

He groaned inwardly as the Time Lord appeared as if he'd been caught flat-footed. He had returned his attention to the surveillance footage, seeming deep in thought. “Of course!” he suddenly exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

Jamie noticed Alana had stopped crying and was gazing at the Doctor in curiosity.

“You see, back during my first encounter with the Zarbi, they had been under the Animus' mind control. As I said earlier, with that having been defeated, they'd returned to a docile-like state. Something had to have happened for them to change between now and then! Something that made them change from those cow-like creatures into Star Wars-like Stormtroopers.”

Jamie found both Alana and Mark looking utterly lost. He himself couldn't help smirking a bit at the Doctor's reference.

“Anyway, from what you've told me this element is so important to them for their weapons system,” the Doctor continued at near the speed of light. “If I can somehow find an alternative for them to use, I can get them to release Zoe! An exchange of sorts.”

Jamie allowed himself a tiny spark of relief; at least his friend had thought up some plan.

“Alana!” the Doctor exclaimed, pointing to her.

“Yes?”

“Can you and your team get working on some sort of fuel that's similar to the one you have? Or perhaps there's an element with similar properties that could be used to create a fuel?”

Alana looked hopeful for a brief moment before her look of distress returned. “Oh, but Doctor, that would take time!”

“Aye, an' time is somethin' Zoe doesnae have,” Jamie added grimly. He was about to say more when he suddenly found Alana had frozen and appeared to be zoning out. Jamie knew that look from the Doctor, though: her mind was reeling away.

“Perhaps as a high priority assignment we can get it done quickly,” she finally said.

“It doesnae even have tae be all that good, jus' somethin' ye could give the Zarbi that seems tae be what they need. Ye know, jus' long enough fer us tae free Zoe. An' whatever happens to them, they'll have tae deal with it.” Jamie felt a grin tugging at his lips as he nodded for emphasis.

He turned to the Doctor to get his input and felt his grin fade. “Mm,” the Time Lord muttered, not seeming that impressed. His eyes suddenly widened. “Actually, Jamie, that's a brilliant idea.”

Jamie smiled again and then turned back to Alana. She certainly appeared more optimistic and it warmed Jamie's heart. “All right, I'll go inform my team and stress that it needs to be done expeditiously.”

Jamie's brow briefly furrowed in confusion as he watched her walk away. He wasn't too sure what that word meant, but assumed it had something to do with speed. It had to; her mother's life was at stake and she'd felt responsible enough for her capture. He just wished there was something he could do to help.

Without a word, Jamie set off in pursuit of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know one of the surnames of a briefly mentioned character sounds familiar... "Lernov".. And yes, we could say he is related to Tanya Lernov, the scientist from The Wheel In Space. I'm not sure it'll actually be mentioned in the story, but I wanted to give a little nod to her. And the reference to the Zarbi is from the First Doctor story The Web Planet


	4. Three

Stepping back from the microscope, Alana sighed in frustration. The rest of her team was currently in Doctor Lernov's lab running chemical analyses on the rock and mineral samples she had already brought them. The rocks in her collection were quite similar to the ones from which they extracted the Terranum-containing minerals. After creating thin sections from them she studied them under a microscope, hoping to identify mineral compositions close to the ones they needed.

Hearing footsteps nearby, she turned to find Jamie handing her another large bucket of rocks. Forcing a slight smile, she nodded her thanks to him as she placed it onto the table. She'd been a bit taken aback by his offer to help, especially given the fact he didn't seem to have any scientific background. But if it made things go quicker, she was all the more thankful.

Admittedly, it wasn't going that well. She had already been through many bucketfuls of them, all holding the promise of helping achieve their goal, but after performing all the required tasks, none actually contained a mineral similar enough. The fact they had to work quick with her mother's life at stake made it all the more stressful.

Still, it was nice having Jamie here to help. She turned to give him an appreciative smile.

* * *

Nodding, Jamie politely returned the smile Alana had given him, grateful she had accepted his offer to help. When he'd first entered the lab he noticed her looking quite stressed and frustrated. He'd nearly expected her to shoo him away; his da had once told him about his own first encounter with her mother. As frustrated as Alana appeared, she'd nonetheless invited him inside to help and actually seemed thankful. If what his da had said about Zoe was anything to go by, Alana certainly seemed different to her.

He hadn't done much apart from handing her the rocks and certain tools, or switching a particular machine on; he didn't know how much he could do given this was all very foreign to him. Nonetheless, he was happy to help in any way he could.

They had been at this for some time: Alana taking the rocks, putting them through a machine that sliced through or pulverized them and then creating wee slides. She'd told him she was trying to find minerals that were much like those containing their special Terranum element. Unfortunately nothing seemed to fit what she was looking for. Jamie nearly began wondering why she was going to so much trouble. They could just give the Zarbi a fuel made from any old element, do a quick exchange and get Zoe back to the Wheel. But he was not about to argue with her if she thought this was best.

Her brow creased in concentration as she squeezed a drop of oil onto a new slide. Studying her more closely, he found her eyes rimmed with dark circles and lines of worry etched across her face. He hated seeing this wee lass in such a stressed state. Of course it was normal with everything she was going through regarding her mother, but he decided that talking a bit (beyond “Can I have this?” “Aye, of course.”) might help.

He tried to think of something to start them off when she saved him the trouble.

“Tell me ...”

“Hm?” he returned absently.

“How do you and the Doctor know my mum, exactly?”

Jamie regarded her in surprise. “Yer mum never told ye? We go back a long way.”

Putting the slide down, she gazed at him dubiously. “Really? I'm sorry, I don't quite remember you.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed in thought. “My mum once told me about a Jamie with whom she'd traveled. She said they were friends.”

Jamie smiled. “That's my da,” he told her with a nod.

She regarded him in confusion before her eyes widened. “Mum also said that when she had me, she'd been imprisoned on Earth by some bad people.”

“Aliens, tae be honest,” he corrected her.

“Yes, that's right.” She looked away awkwardly for a moment. “She said she gave birth to me in that prison cell. There was a young boy there with her.”

Jamie felt heat rising into his cheeks and avoided her gaze. “Aye. That was me.”

He turned back to her, finding her gazing at him in surprise before her expression turned sympathetic. “It must have been awful. I mean, to be in such a situation as a young boy.”

Jamie gave a slight shrug. “'I was frightened but yer mum was there tae comfort me. I really owe her my life for that.” Having admitted this, he felt a new sense of resolve coursing through him. “An' I'll do all I can tae help get her back.” He emphasized it with a nod.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but her eyes seemed to be brimming with tears for the briefest of moments before her confused expression returned. “There's one thing I don't understand.”

Jamie regarded her expectantly.

“Your father is called Jamie, but you are as well. Does that ever get confusing?”

Jamie hadn't actually given it much thought and felt himself at a loss for words. “Er, well ...”

“Are you Jamie the Younger?” she interrupted.

He chuckled in amusement. “No' exactly. My da is James Robert McCrimmon. I'm James Duncan McCrimmon. I was also named after my granddad; my mum's da.”

“I see,” she replied with a thoughtful nod. “There's still not that much difference.” Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes before she gave him an apologetic smile. “It really doesn't matter, I suppose.”

Jamie nodded awkwardly, giving her a shy smile. Her attention was back on the slide in front of her as she sprinkled grains of the rock onto it with a wee spatula thing. He witnessed her smiling in triumph as she studied her handiwork.

Jamie himself found he couldn't stop studying her. He liked her smile. It was very attractive and such a welcome change from the severely stressed look etched onto her face the majority of the time they'd been here. In fact, her smile made her look rather cute, and, yes, he suspected she'd kill him if she had the ability to read his thoughts. Still, he found it suited her very well.

Interestingly, he'd noticed her staring at him during random moments but would then turn away whenever he met her gaze. It almost made her seem shy, another quality he strangely found appealing.

A particular memory suddenly struck to him, causing his smile to widen. “Did yer mum ever tell ye that after we were rescued, I'd helped my mum babysit ye?”

Alana stiffened and moved back from the microscope, her cheeks flushing. Apparently, Zoe hadn't told her.

“Ye were such an adorable bairn,” Jamie continued with a fond grin.

“'Bairn'?” She looked hopelessly confused.

He held up a hand apologetically. “It means 'baby' in Scots Gaelic.”

She nodded but her blush hadn't receded as she looked away from him. “Please tell me you did not assist in changing my nappies.”

Jamie briefly furrowed his brow in confusion. “Eh? No, I dinnae think so.” His confusion melted away as he smiled proudly. “I did hold ye, though.”

Still seemingly embarrassed, she uttered a tiny cough. “Could you please hand me one of those cover sheets?” she asked, her voice returning to a more business-like quality.

Jamie felt a tiny seed of disappointment grow inside him, though perhaps it was his own fault for embarrassing her. He nodded before turning to pick up the small, plastic sheet used to cover the mineral grains in oil atop the slide.

“Aye, of course,” he replied, a gentle smile on his face as he handed it to her.

* * *

Alana felt her stony facade shatter as Jamie handed the cover sheet to her and she caught his smile. She'd reached out to take the slide and his fingers closed around her hand, as if he were holding it. For a moment she felt a bit of a spark. Not expecting the sensation, her eyes widened.

Jamie loosened his hold on her hand and his smile faded. “'m sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldnae have done that.”

She gazed at him in surprise. Oh, goodness, he had misunderstood.

“No, please, it's all right,” she insisted. No, she wasn't horrified by his action but certainly hadn't expected it. She had liked other boys in the past but it had never amounted to anything. When she first laid eyes upon Jamie she found herself intrigued; the small part of her that wasn't preoccupied with her mum's capture, anyway. She never thought he would have any interest in her, though, so she tried to cast any deep thoughts about him aside.

Easier said than done. She couldn't deny she liked him.

“Hey. I hope ye don' mind, but I'd like ye tae have this.”

Jamie's soft voice cut through her thoughts and, as she refocused her gaze upon him, watched him remove some sort of chain fastened around his neck. He placed it in his hand and offered it to her.

Alana's mouth dropped open as she set eyes upon it. The chain was made of something akin to leather and fastened at the end was a silver, metallic, slightly irregular-shaped crystal. She reached out to touch it and then met Jamie's gaze, tacitly asking his permission.

The young man uttered a warm chuckle. “Go on. Take it,” he continued, his hand drawing closer.

Nodding, she reached over and picked it up. “It's beautiful,” she murmured as she ran her fingers over the crystal's smooth, shiny surface. “Where did you get it?”

Jamie took it back and undid the odd-looking clasp, then motioned for her to turn around. She felt him gently place it around her neck and fasten it. “Before we arrived here, the Doctor and I had visited this planet called Mephaxis Ten. Their leader Jervis gave it to me. He said it's supposed to protect whoever wears it.” He gave a small shrug. “I jus' thought it pretty.” He seemed to be looking her over before he smiled. “It suits ye well.”

Alana felt her cheeks flame despite her smile. Another thought struck her and she regarded him in confusion. “Why are you giving me this?” She hoped she didn't sound too cold; it certainly wasn't her intention, but the gift took her completely by surprise.

She watched as Jamie's gaze fell to his hands, his cheeks flushing as he nervously scuffed his boots on the floor. He seemed quite bold giving her this crystal pendant just moments ago and was now acting rather shy himself.

“Well, erm, I … “ He stopped to rake a hand through the shaggy fringe on his forehead and tossed it back, leaving it all askew and sticking up. Alana tried to stifle a giggle at the result but failed. It only made Jamie's blush deepen as he smoothed it back down.

He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I … I like you,” he finally stammered.

Alana's breath hitched. This certainly was a surprise! Here she was trying to repress the feelings she felt stirring for him, thinking there was no chance he liked her. And now he had admitted to the fact.

For a moment she didn't know what to say. And then … “Oh.” Her voice was so quiet it would be a miracle if he'd actually heard her.

Returning her gaze to him, she watched his face fall. “Sorry. Ye must think me daft.” The sad, awkward tone of his voice made her heart break. “We've barely known each other an' here I am, given ye a token of affection ...” The corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile.

“No,” she interrupted with a vehement shake of her head. “I understand, believe me. I was … just a bit surprised, that's all.” She sighed, trying to collect her thoughts in a coherent way. “I do like you, Jamie. Very much.” She felt the heat in her cheeks rise some more, but continued on. “To be honest, I've had crushes on some of the boys here but most of them usually don't pay much attention to me.” She frowned and her gaze dropped to the floor. “They think I'm some sort of stuck up, know-it-all robot,” she said bitterly.

“What?” Jamie sounded stunned and as she lifted her gaze, she found him looking at her sadly. “No, ye're no' stuck up. Ye're jus' shy. Those chappies have got the wrong idea aboot ye.” His mouth lifted into a lopsided, almost jokey, smile. “Tell 'em tae piss off.”

Alana's jaw dropped in shock for a brief moment before she threw her head back, laughing. “I can't do that!” she exclaimed through giggles. He was soon laughing along with her.

The giggles fading, she calmed herself and sighed. It had felt so good to laugh amid this tense situation. She met his gaze once more and smiled genuinely. “Thank you.”

Jamie's smile warmed her heart. “Aye. Of course.”

She nearly wanted to hug him, but her gaze fell upon the microscope inches away and she realized they needed to get back to the task at hand, especially if they were going to rescue her mum. She placed the newly constructed slide onto the microscope's stage and peered through the eyepiece. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the minerals present on the slide. Now, this sample had come from a rock that was …

Could it really be? Studying them closer, she found her suspicion confirmed. Her mouth cracked open in a wide smile. “Yes!!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

Jamie was instantly at her side. “What did ye see?”

Stepping back from the instrument, she grabbed the slide and held it up in front of him. “This mineral is very close to the ones contained in the original rock, the ones we use to extract the Terrnaum,” she began excitedly. “If what I'm thinking is correct, then ...” She trailed off, grabbing one of the rocks from the last batch Jamie had given her before heading over to a spectrometer.

“What?” Jamie asked, following her.

“I've got to run a chemical analysis,” she muttered distractedly. She barely caught him nodding before she set to work. A few short minutes later, the analysis had concluded and she studied the report the printer had spit out. Double-checking the results, she sighed happily.

Lifting her gaze from the paper, she found Jamie regarding her expectantly. “No Terranum in these samples but they've got Melatom, which has very similar properties. In fact, they're so similar, it could just about pass for Terranum.” She smiled proudly. “I've got to notify the rest of the team. Will you help me deliver this pile of rocks to them? They will extract the minerals containing the Melatom and synthesize it into liquid form.”

“Aye,” Jamie replied with a nod, grabbing the rocks and placing them into a container. “How many do ye think they'll need?”

“Just bring the whole lot,” she told him. Not realizing there were so many, she felt bad and proceeded to help him. Once they had finished she grabbed the chemical analysis report and led the way down the corridor to Doctor Lernov's lab.

* * *

Jamie smiled to himself as he followed Alana out of the lab. She seemed so confident this element was what they needed to convince the Zarbi it was what they required. He certainly hoped they could.

They had just passed the control room when two familiar figures traveling in the opposite direction nearly bumped into them.

“Oh! Jamie! Alana!”

Jamie lifted his gaze to find the Doctor appearing a bit flustered. Next to him was Mark who nodded politely but also seemed a bit restless.

“How are you doing?” Mark asked.

“After studying a variety of rocks, we found some with minerals containing an element with very similar properties to the Terranum,” Alana replied. “We've brought the supply of rocks to the rest of the team and they are synthesizing the element in liquid form as we speak.”

The Doctor smiled. “Perfect!”

Mark seemed satisfied as well. “Well done. Do you think it will be a good substitute for the Terranum? Enough to convince these Zarbi?”

“Och, who cares?” Jamie replied dismissively. “We'll just hand it to them, free Zoe an' be on our way! Whatever happens once we're gone is their problem. Eh?” He turned to Alana with a grin.

“Hm,” the Doctor began, eyes narrowed. He appeared dubious for a brief moment and then shrugged. “In the end I suppose it won't matter. Provided we can do a quick exchange, of course ...”

He was cut off by the sound of an alarm. Jamie looked about the corridor, trying to figure out where it was coming from. “Follow me,” Mark said, rushing toward the control room.

“We're receiving a radio transmission,” a technician told him.

“Who from?” Mark asked.

“We have searched your relay station,” the familiar, chirpy mechanical voice answered, “And we have not found any of the element we require in liquid form. Your crew have been useless.”

“Aw, what a shame,” Jamie retorted.

The Doctor quickly turned to shush him. “Mark, I'd like to speak to them,” he said, turning back to the other man. Mark nodded, gesturing for him to do so.

“Funny you should mention that,” the Time Lord began sarcastically. “We've got a supply of this element in liquid form and are ready to exchange it for the hostage.”

“Hostage?” the alien inquired. It was difficult to tell if it was being deliberately ignorant.

“Yeah, you know, the petite woman whose life you earlier threatened and then whisked away on your magic carpet,” the Doctor returned glibly.

Jamie winced as the creature's loud, metallic laugh seemed to reverberate off the walls of the room. “Oh, yes. That hostage.”

Alana suddenly rushed forward. “You monsters!! Bring her back!” she shouted, tears in her eyes.

“Oh, do not trouble yourselves,” the voice returned in an eerily calm tone. “We shall release her … once we receive the element.”

Jamie's brow furrowed in thought. Could these loathsome creatures be trusted? They had to take a chance; for Zoe's sake.

Mark seemed to agree. “Understood. We are preparing to depart.” He turned to Alana, motioning her to come closer. “Check on the rest of the team's progress. We've got to get that liquid synthesized as quickly as possible.”

Alana nodded and, after sharing a brief look with Jamie, ran down the corridor in the direction of the lab they'd exited minutes ago.

Jamie sighed and regarded the others grimly. He hoped this wasn't going to take too long. If their abrasive way of communication was any indication, these Zarbi didn't seem a patient sort.

Fortunately they didn't have to wait too long. Only several minutes had passed when his gaze settled upon Alana, followed by two young scientists each carrying a large canister. The poor girl was grimacing under the weight of the container she was carrying and Jamie quickly approached her, grabbing it. It was a bit on the heavy side, although not as bad as she made it seem. There was the fact he was bigger and stronger physically, of course …

“This is all of it,” a young female scientist declared as she and her male counterpart lowered their canisters onto the floor.

“Well done, Marie and Pierre,” the Doctor quipped. His grin suddenly faded. “Ah, any special instructions for handling this stuff long term?”

The male scientist gave what appeared to be a reassuring smile. “It's not volatile so there's no cause to worry about that. It's just a bit heavy, is all.”

“Mm, I could see that.” He turned to Jamie. “Carrying it on our backs may be the best way.”

Jamie nodded thoughtfully. He certainly couldn't come up with any better ideas. One thing was plaguing him, though. “How are we gonna get over there?”

The Doctor's brows drew together in thought. “Hm, well … er ...”

“We've got small transport vessels we use to go from Wheel to Wheel, including the relay station,” Mark supplied. “They're kept in the landing bay. You'll need to gear up in suits for the journey, though.”

The Time Lord nodded. “So, this transport between Wheels or stations is some big formal thing, then? I mean, posh dinner suits? Will there be on board entertainment? Five-course meal?”

The other man chuckled. “I meant space suits, complete with helmets.”

“Oh.” The Doctor frowned, looking disappointed.

Jamie turned to Alana and rolled his eyes jokingly. He hadn't realized Mark had left until he suddenly appeared at their side, giving one suit to Jamie and another to the Doctor.

Jamie studied the suit. It wasn't overly bulky as he'd expected a space suit to appear, although there was one certain thing he was looking for that didn't seem to be there …

“What are you doing?” Alana asked.

He looked up from his rummaging. “Oh, uh … I was jus' lookin' for a compartment tae keep my phone in.”

“Your phone?”

“Aye.” He reached into his sporran and removed his mobile phone. “See?” Pressing a button, he smiled as the display lit up showing the phone had turned on. Pressing a couple of more buttons to get to the menu, he selected his ring tone and turned to her, smiling almost proudly.

“Hmm,” she mused. “Interesting. Though, rather primitive.”

Jamie's jaw went slack. “'Primitive'?? I'll have ye know I only jus' got this phone a couple of months ago, an' ...”

“Jamie, remember,” the Doctor suddenly cut in. “Time. Relative.”

“Eh??”

“Back where you're from, it's nineteen-ninety-eight. We're in the twenty-first century now, mid-century or thereabouts.”

“Oh,” he replied, feeling quite the idiot. He turned back to Alana with a pained expression. “Sorry.”

Judging from her expression, she understood. He regarded the suit he was holding once again and smiled upon finding a pocket in which to hold his phone. Watching the Doctor don his suit, he did likewise, gazing in confusion at the accompanying helmet.

“They're only required during transport,” Alana told him. “Due to the pressure inside. We can take them off once we're inside the relay station.” She turned to her father. “So, where is my suit?”

Jamie was all set to object when the Doctor beat him to it. “I really don't think that's a good idea, Alana,” he said, eyeing her in concern.

“Why? My mum is there! She's there because of me!”

Jamie gazed at her in desperation. “We want ye tae be safe!”

“You mean I'll be too much of a distraction whilst you go off and fight these, these ... Zarbis or whatever they're called!”

“That's no' true,” Jamie protested, feeling stung by such an assumption.

“Her life and the life of the people working at the relay station are in danger because of me,” she continued, eyes shining with tears. “I was the one who failed to encrypt that transmission and alerted these _things_ to our supply of the Terranum ...” She trailed off and lowered her head as she broke down in soft sobs.

Jamie was immediately at her side and took her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head. “It's all right,” he spoke soothingly. “Ye didnae know this would happen.”

She shook her head slightly. “I was so irresponsible,” she continued, her voice quiet and shaky. “I pride myself on doing a perfect job and look what happened.”

“No one is perfect, lass. No one expects ye tae be perfect, so you shouldnae expect yerself to be so either.”

She sniffled and turned slightly toward him. Jamie felt his heart breaking as he took in her puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “Of all the times for me to foul up. I put the life of so many people in danger; most importantly my mum.” Her expression cleared as she turned to look at him more fully, her eyes large and pleading . “I must go. Please.”

At a loss for words, Jamie turned to the Doctor. The Time Lord himself appeared moved by Alana's emotional outburst. He seemed to think for a moment. “All right. If you've been to this relay station before you can help us get our bearings, find out where things are.” He gestured to the canisters of liquid. “But Jamie and I will carry these; they're much too heavy for you.”

She seemed to agree to this, thankfully. Once she'd donned her suit, he laid a hand on her shoulder. “I'm gonna do all I can tae keep ye safe, ye hear me?”

She gave him one of those no-nonsense looks again. “If you think it best, though I'm fairly sure I can look after myself.”

Jamie arched an eyebrow. “Are ye, now? Have ye ever encountered beasties like this before?”

She shrugged. “Well, no, of course not.”

“Aye. Well, I have.” Alana regarded him dubiously, cocking her head to one side. “No' them, but others like them. Some even worse.” He gazed pointedly at her. “Ye'll need me.”

She seemed to study him for a moment and then nodded. “Well, all right.” Inwardly, Jamie breathed a sigh of relief.

“We should get a move on,” the Doctor interrupted. “Mark is going to give us a demonstration on how to use the transports.”

Jamie nodded wordlessly and, as he followed the Doctor toward the landing bay, his gaze kept returning to Alana. She seemed slightly overwhelmed, yet determined to get her mother free.

Jamie himself was just as determined to keep her safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I said these chapters were probably going to be shorter than my previous stories, but it didn't work out that way here, LOL. I wanted to explore Jamie and Alana's interaction a bit, so I should've known it wasn't going to be short and sweet. Oh, well. And here's another pic - Jamie and Alana talking in the lab (Jamie's telling her "We go back a long way").


	5. Four

“Right this way.”

Alana stayed close behind her father as he led them through the landing bay towards the area in which the transports were kept. She found it hard to bite back a grin as she witnessed the Doctor and Jamie's reactions to them. The Doctor's brow was furrowed in what appeared to be deep concentration as he noted the vehicle whereas Jamie was staring in awe, as if he'd never seen anything like it before (well, _obviously_ he hadn't …).

She'd failed to contain the grin as she thought back to the recent conversation between the Doctor and her father. He'd declined her father's offer to show him how to pilot the transport, insisting he was a quick learner and could get the hang of it on his own. That certainly wasn't wise and she hoped he would reconsider. He really seemed quite sure of himself, plus he most likely didn't want to be a fool in front of anyone, in particular herself and Jamie. That last notion made her grin widen and Jamie had apparently noticed, judging by the curious expression on his face as she met his gaze. Feeling her cheeks flush, Alana gave him an apologetic smile as she shook her head dismissively.

Her father approached the transport and pressed a panel embedded into its side. The glass-perspex roof lifted up from the back, allowing them to be seated inside.

“You'll need to put these on once you're inside,” he began, referring to the helmets. “It's a pressurized environment and they're to be worn for safety's sake; in case of any leakage, of course. Can't be too careful.”

“Oh, no, of course not,” the Doctor returned with a nonchalant shrug before sitting himself down in the front seat.

“Are you sure you don't need any instruction on how to pilot these?”

Alana watched the Doctor offer the front panel a quick glance before turning back to her father. “No, I don't think that's necessary. I'm sure to get the hang of it; I'm a quick learner.” He grinned impishly.

Jamie uttered a tiny cough and then gazed warily in the Doctor's direction. The eccentric man must have got the hint. “Perhaps a quick little rundown might be a good idea, just to be safe and all that,” he admitted.

Her father uttered an amused chuckle before launching into his explanation, which Alana tuned out as she sat herself down in the roomy backseat behind them. She turned to find Jamie standing, looking a bit lost until she gestured for him to join her. She smiled as he nodded and sat down beside her. Having donned her helmet, she sat back and watched as he did the same.

As the roof lowered and locked back in place, she watched her father step back, waving them on. Giving him a nod, she waved back and eased back down onto her seat, making sure her and Jamie's belts were fastened. She suddenly heard the Doctor muttering to himself, probably repeating the instructions her father had given.

“All right, I think I know what this does ...”

“GAH!!” he yelped as the transport suddenly jerked forward before lifting several feet up in the air.

Unable to contain her grin, Alana leaned forward, placing her hand on the back of the Doctor's seat. “Don't worry; it's supposed to do that,” she told him.

“Ah! Blimey, thing nearly gave me whiplash,” he retorted, aiming an arched eyebrow at her before turning back to the controls. The Wheel's hull had now fully opened, allowing them to depart. The Doctor seemed to hesitate a moment before manipulating the controls and they began to move forward. It wasn't long before he had them accelerating to a desirable speed as he piloted them out of the landing bay into the vast, inky surroundings of space.

Alana smiled in satisfaction as they began their sojourn to the relay station. Every so often she glanced at the screen showing their itinerary, how far they had traveled and how much further until they arrived at their destination. It was a key feature of the transports to have the journey already programmed into the machine. The humans were the actual pilots, but the transports were equipped with sensors which called for overriding any human error to make sure they arrived at their destination. Nevertheless, the Doctor was doing a very good job of piloting and she had to admit she was impressed by his skill. Then again, for a fellow who seemed to have traveled all through time and space (as Jamie had told her), she probably should have expected it.

Nevertheless, she leaned towards him again with a smile. “You're doing marvelously, Doctor!”

He briefly turned to meet her gaze, appearing nearly grateful. “Oh! Thank you. Is it much further?”

“No, not much,” she replied. “Have a look at the screen. It shows our journey so far and how much we've got left.”

“Ah,” the Doctor mused. “Hm, not bad. Not bad at all. Reminds me of those GPS – global positioning system thingies – back on Earth.”

Smiling in amusement, she sat back in her seat, having a quick look at their surroundings. Trips to the relay station weren't a regular occurrence for her, but she'd been there enough to know they were nearly there. She was glad; the sooner they arrived, the more likely they would be able to rescue her mum and any of the other personnel threatened by these aliens.

Her gaze then drifted over to Jamie at her right. She recalled the promise he'd made to keep her safe. Admittedly, she'd agreed to it in part to placate him but deep down couldn't deny she had warmed up to the idea. It was nice to have someone care for her so much to want to look out for her; her parents notwithstanding, of course. She felt a small smile tug at her lips as she watched him gaze out at the view around them. From what little she could see of his expression, it seemed to be one of childlike awe. She found it quite endearing.

* * *

Breathing a sigh of relief after having removed his helmet, Jamie placed it on then seat and then joined the Doctor at the back of the transport where its cargo area was located. The Doctor fetched one of the backpacks containing the liquid-filled canisters and Jamie did likewise, grunting as he slung it onto his back. It was a bit heavier than he'd expected, but still quite bearable. It definitely would have been too heavy for Alana.

The Doctor pressed another button on the outside of the vehicle, sealing and locking it completely. He then nodded to Jamie, who followed him as they caught Alana up some twenty feet ahead.

“All right. You've been here before,” the Time Lord said. “Where to now?”

“Follow me,” she simply replied. They headed to a set of doors before which she suddenly stopped short.

“What's the matter?” Jamie asked.

Getting a closer look, he found his question answered. The doors – rather, door – was already open and hanging off at a nearly forty-five degree angle, to be exact. It seemed it was a mechanical door that slid open.

Alana bit her lip before she turned to him. “They did this,” she said, her voice quiet and almost detached.

The Doctor held up a hand. “It's all right. We'll find them.”

She seemed to break out of her trance and then directed them down the corridor ahead. “The guards should be able to tell us what's going on,” she muttered.

They were soon greeted with yet another unpleasant sight. The guards were indeed present at their post but were sprawled out on top of the desk, unmoving. Jamie watched the Doctor rush over to check on them.

“They're alive,” he said after a moment, “but unconscious.” His expression became grim with a touch of anger. “The Zarbi.”

Jamie quickly glanced at Alana who seemed relieved they were alive but still very distressed. Jamie couldn't blame her; after seeing what they'd already done to these guards, what could they have done to her mum? He reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Come on,” the Doctor said. “Let's see if we can find anyone; preferably awake and lucid.”

Jamie nodded and gestured to Alana for them to join him. His heart broke as he caught her worried expression. A spark of anger ignited inside him over these creatures who had threatened her mum and taken her away.

It had only grown as they reached what appeared to be a control room and they found other technicians, all lying about unconscious.

He abruptly stopped, planting his feet firmly on the ground. “So, where are these beasties?” he wondered aloud. “Where are they hidin'?” He placed his balled up fists on his hips and looked about the wide-open area. “Can ye no' come out an' show yerselves, ye cowards?!”

The Doctor rushed up to him, eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets. “Jamie!” he hissed.

Apparently they had heard him. Three Zarbis emerged from a corridor on the other side of the room, heading straight in their direction. Jamie reached out and clutched Alana protectively as the giant insect-like beings made their way up to them.

Stopping in front of them, the Zarbi said nothing for several moments. They simply stared as if checking out their new arrivals. One then turned to the others. “The humans have arrived,” it chirped.

The Doctor glared at them as he removed his backpack, gesturing for Jamie to do the same. “Yes, we've brought the element in liquid form as we promised.” He then removed the canisters, placing them before the creatures. “Now it's time for you to keep your end of the bargain!”

The Zarbi seemed to briefly take notice of the canisters but, again, said nothing. They merely resumed staring at the trio.

“Are ye deaf?” Jamie asked snidely.

“Free my mum!” Alana exclaimed, eyes narrowed in a deadly glare.

“She's still here, isn't she?” The Doctor cut in. He sniffed, looking away for a moment. “I mean, you didn't make us come all the way out here for nothing, did you? Because that would be just plain rude.”

One of the creatures walked to the other side of the control console where the surveillance monitors were located. It seemed to be looking for something before grabbing one of the screens with its pincers and turning it around so it was visible to them.

Jamie let go of Alana in order to study the screen. His eyes widened upon the sight of a petite woman trapped in some sort of cage. A woman who seemed to greatly resemble Zoe. She appeared to be struggling to free herself, but otherwise looked unharmed.

He turned briefly to find the Doctor studying the screen as well, brow furrowed. “Good,” he finally said. “I was beginning to get worried.”

“She'd better be all right, you understand?!” Alana suddenly spat at the creature. She was nearly shaking with rage. Jamie reflexively reached out to grab and steady her.

The Zarbi laughed that same, cruel mechanical laugh they had heard over the audio transmission. “She is unharmed,” one of them stated. “For now.”

“What do you mean, 'for now'?” Jamie asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

They failed to answer him and reached for the three canisters of liquid he and the Doctor had placed before them. The Zarbi looked down at them thoughtfully. Jamie watched their every move, trying to decipher what was going on in those cruel brains of theirs – or whatever they had that passed for brains.

“You've got your element now,” the Doctor spoke up. “Now free Zoe.”

“We shall uphold our end of the bargain,” one of the creatures spoke. “But in order to make sure it is a fair exchange, we need to confirm this is indeed the element.”

Jamie felt dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

“What, ya don't trust us? Blimey, how could you not trust this face?” the Time Lord retorted, making as innocent a face as possible. Jamie merely felt his dread grow.

“We have been played before, Doctor,” another spoke. “We must analyze this liquid form of the element. If we are satisfied, we shall release your friend. But not before.” It turned to another Zarbi. “Guard these humans. Do not permit them to escape until we return.”

“Oh, well, that's it, then,” the Doctor said dryly as two of the Zarbi left, approaching the corridor from which they had previously emerged. He then turned to the remaining Zarbi, his eyes widening and crossing his legs slightly. “Oh, I shouldn't have had all that tea before coming here. Mind showing me where the loo is?”

The Zarbi thrust his weapon at the Doctor threateningly.

“I'll take that as a 'no', then,” the Time Lord returned.

Jamie frowned. It was obvious they were not getting out of here unless the Zarbi were completely satisfied with the liquid form of the element they had brought. And the chances of that were practically nil.

His mind thrust into gear, thinking of a 'Plan B' the Doctor had alluded to back when they first learned of the Zarbis' invasion of the Wheel. Perhaps he could create some sort of diversion, distracting the Zarbi guarding them long enough so the Doctor and Alana could escape and find Zoe.

No, that probably wouldn't work. They didn't even know exactly where she was being held, and they didn't have much time. He doubted it would take long for the creatures to realize they had been played and it would put all their lives in jeopardy. He had to come up with another plan …

Before he could even begin, he heard heavy footsteps approaching and looked up to find the two other Zarbi returning. It was nearly impossible to tell from their expressions but their body language didn't make them appear too happy.

“This is not the element we require!” one of them thundered. “It is useless!!”

The Doctor pulled another innocent face. “Oh, no. Really? You mean we picked up the wrong canisters? Just let us go back and do a quick, easy exchange. I promise that --”

“You never meant to exchange the element!” the other Zarbi interrupted. “You take us for fools!” They moved closer, staring menacingly down at the group. “And you will now pay.”

“Oh, blimey,” the Doctor whimpered as he stared at them. He briefly met Jamie's gaze as he turned to them. “When I say run, run,” he muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Jamie momentarily furrowed his brow in confusion. That phrase seemed oddly familiar in some way he couldn't quite think of.

“Run!!” the Doctor repeated, his desperate shout tearing through the young man's thoughts.

Without a further thought, Jamie grabbed Alana's hand and ran with her in the opposite direction down the corridor, trying to keep up with the Doctor. The aliens were hot on their pursuit and he worked his lungs hard, pushing his legs as fast as he could go. What on Earth would these beasties do to them if heaven forbid they had caught them? Those pincers looks extremely sharp and Jamie winced at the mere thought of what they were capable of.

Goodness, this relay station was bigger than he'd expected. They had found several rooms which looked empty and a good place to hide out, but to their horror realized they were occupied by other Zarbi, who naturally joined in on the pursuit. After some time they had finally managed to elude their captors and found what appeared to be a large, empty room at the very end of one of the corridors.

“Just a moment,” the Doctor told them as they slowed to a stop in front of them. “Let me just do a little recce here.” Jamie turned to Alana, gazing at her in concern. She was still trying to get her breath after that literal marathon they'd just run.

“Are ye all right?” Jamie asked her.

She nodded. “Yes. I can't remember the last time I ran so hard for so long.”

The Doctor was soon back in front of them, holding up his sonic screwdriver. “Coast is clear. Come on,” he announced. They followed him into what appeared to be a large storeroom. It was clearly abandoned, containing shelving unit after shelving unit which housed boxes of all sizes, some which appeared empty and others holding materials.

Still holding Alana's hand, Jamie followed the Doctor toward the back of the room where a small area between the last row of shelving units and the wall invited them to hide. They both crouched down next to him.

“How familiar with the layout of this relay station are you?” the Doctor suddenly asked her quietly. “Think back to that surveillance footage they showed us. Could you identify where your mum is being held?”

Jamie turned to Alana. Her eyes had narrowed in apparent thought and she appeared frustrated for a moment before they suddenly widened, as if in realization. “I think I know where it is. There's a basement complex of sorts. It's a large, open area.”

“Mm, perfect for them hold a cage in,” the Time Lord mused. “All right. You know how to get there?”

She nodded.

“As soon as we give these giant picnic pests the slip, we'll make our way down there,” he continued.

Jamie nodded before a thought suddenly came to him and he gazed pointedly at his friend. “Hey, did ye notice those beasties referred to ye as 'the Doctor', as if they knew ye?”

The Doctor stared at him, his brow creased. “Like I said earlier, I've encountered them before, Jamie.”

“Aye, but they told ye they'd been played before,” Jamie insisted quietly. “What did they mean by that?”

The Time Lord remained silent, his expression unreadable. Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion. Just what was his friend's history with these formidable creatures?

Before he could ponder any further he stiffened at a sound coming from the front of the room.

A sound of heavy footsteps.

“Blimey,” the Doctor mouthed. He signaled for them to be quiet and crouch even lower so they would be hidden behind the boxes on the shelves.

Jamie's eyes darted back and forth as he kept his ears trained on the sounds in the room. He picked up on the footsteps drawing closer and closer. He couldn't see the creatures, which hopefully meant _they_ could see _them_.

At one point they sounded a bit too close for comfort before he heard them finally stop. They must have been looking about the room for any signs of him and his friends. As long as they remained perfectly still, their cover shouldn't be blown.

Finally the footsteps resumed and seemed to be receding. Jamie released the breath he had been holding. They would be safe. These beasties would leave the room, and they could …

A shrill sound suddenly emanated from somewhere close to Jamie's side. Eyes widening, he glanced down and found his mobile phone was going off inside his suit's pocket.

The Doctor groaned softly. “Jamie you've really got to learn to switch that phone off.”

His cheeks flaming, Jamie swiftly grabbed the object and pushed a button, shutting off the ring tone before securing it back in his pocket. Hopefully the creatures hadn't heard it …

Through a small space between two boxes on the shelf, he caught a glimpse of a freakishly over-sized insect staring back at him!

The Doctor and Alana must have noticed as he suddenly felt the Time Lord grab hold of his arm, gesturing for them to high-tail it out of there. Jamie quickly grabbed Alana's hand, nearly dragging her with him as he ran toward the edge of the shelving unit and turned left, heading in the direction of the front of the room. He could hear the creatures' plodding steps not far behind and stopped only briefly to grab boxes from the shelves, hurling them back at their captors. Alana soon followed suit, and … where was the Doctor?

The boxes only served to slow the Zarbi down, but as long as it bought them some time to escape and find Zoe, Jamie didn't care. As he neared the front of the room he caught the Zarbi catching him up and quickly pivoted to the right, ending up with his back against a corner. His eyes widened as he glimpsed the giant insects nearing him and in desperation, picked up several more boxes and lobbed them at the creatures.

Quickly glancing around at his surroundings, he found he was trapped. Not only that, but Alana was now gone.

“Alana!” he cried.

No answer. He had to find her. He'd promised he would do all he could to protect her. This was one promise he couldn't afford to break.

But he couldn't even try to find her. The Zarbi had him cornered. All five of them.

He suddenly remembered the sgian dubh secured in his left pocket. At least he wasn't totally defenseless, but the reality was he was outnumbered. Jamie squeezed his eyes shut as the creatures neared them, their pincers priming as if ready to attack.

“Hey!” a voice suddenly cried. Forcing his eyes open, Jamie quickly turned to find Alana crouched at the edge of a shelving unit to his left, about ten feet away. Where did she spring from?

She has distracted the Zarbi long enough to allow him a means of escape, but what he really wanted to do was attack them. With what, though? All that was here were boxes, many of them empty, and a quick, desperate search turned up nothing that could be used as a suitable weapon to make quick work of all of them.

“Jamie!” Alana suddenly screamed in panic. He quickly tore his gaze from the boxes to find her running from the Zarbi, but they were quite fast and catching her up quickly.

A sudden cry of agony filled the room, followed by a blinding flash of light and what sounded like an explosion.


	6. Five

Feeling a bit dazed, Alana blinked and then raised herself into a sitting position. She had been knocked off her feet thanks to the explosion when those Zarbis tried to attack her. She quickly examined her arms and legs, breathing a sigh of relief; physically, she was fine. Her gaze then fell upon the mess littering the ground: some liquefied brown and green matter, not to mention other fragments that were segmented …

A sick realization came to her and she winced. It was the remains of the aforementioned aliens.

A soft groan suddenly pierced through her thoughts and she wheeled around, finding Jamie lying on the floor several yards away to her right. He was on his stomach with his arms folded across his face, as if shielding himself from the blast. Relieved he was okay, she allowed herself a slight smile as she approached him.

“Jamie?” she asked, touching him lightly on the shoulder.

There was another groan before Jamie lifted his head and turned around, his eyes widening as he met her gaze. “Alana,” he breathed.

“Are you all right?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied, still sounding dazed as he picked himself up off the floor. “What's happened?” He seemed to notice the carnage covering the floor. “Wha's all this stuff?”

“Um,” she began, unsure how she could even begin. “I believe it is – was – the Zarbi.” He nearly gaped at her and she felt her cheeks flush. “They were chasing me and had nearly caught me up. They were about to attack when they suddenly froze right in front of me, as if they noticed something awful and they just … screamed.”

Jamie eyed her dubiously. She couldn't blame him, of course. She herself was still trying to process what had happened. Her eyes widened upon recollection of one very interesting detail She gazed down at the pendant he had given her.

“This crystal suddenly seemed to give off a glow. And perhaps it was my imagination but I thought I heard a slight humming noise coming from it.”

A look of realization crossed Jamie's face. “The blinding flash of light!”

Alana nodded. “I suppose the man who gave it to you was right about its protective powers.”

Jamie nodded back and met her gaze once again, his eyes colored with worry. Approaching closer, he laid a hand on her shoulder and reached out with his free hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I was so worried when I didnae see ye,” he said. His gaze suddenly found the floor. “I … I thought those beasties had taken ye, or hurt ye, or ...”

She was genuinely touched he was so concerned about her. Feeling a wave of emotion threatening to overcome her, she bit it back and instead smiled at him. “Well, I'm fine. Thanks to you, Jamie.”

Nodding, he returned her smile and rubbed her shoulder. His smile suddenly faded as he straightened up and looked about the room. “Any idea where the Doctor has gone?” he asked her.

Alana's brow furrowed in thought and she shook her head. “No. I haven't seen him since the Zarbi first located and started chasing us.”

“I hope those beasties haven't --”

He was cut off by the sound of footsteps. Alana felt herself tense up, fearing there were still more of those aliens to deal with. She did have the crystal, but would it still work after having killed at least five of them? Was it one of those things that had only a certain amount of energy before being useless …?

The footsteps grew closer and more frantic, ripping her from her thoughts. Her breath hitched as their owner came into view ...

A man with short, spiky brown hair, a pin-striped suit and tennis shoes. Alana shut her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Where've ye been?” Jamie asked, regarding him almost accusingly.

“Um, well, I had my own problems,” the Doctor replied, avoiding their gazes. “You know, several of them had chased me down and out into the corridor. I was trying to fend them off and eventually gave them the slip, so I suppose they came back here.”

Jamie gestured to a skinny instrument the Doctor was holding. “Couldn't you have just used yer sonic screwdriver?”

“I tried, believe me, but it didn't seem to have much effect.” The Doctor's brow knitted in confusion as he gazed down at the floor. “Blimey, what happened here?” Not waiting for any answer, he sat on his haunches and reached out with the screwdriver to collect some of the gooey substance onto the end of it. Holding it up in front of him, he scrunched up his nose in disgust. “What is this stuff?”

“It's the beasties,” Jamie blurted.

“The beas – What? You mean the Zarbi?”

“Aye.”

The Doctor appeared shocked as he met Alana's gaze.

“Yes, it is them – or, rather, what's left of them.” She gestured to what appeared to a segment of one of their legs.

“So it is,” the Doctor said, eyes boggling. “How did you do it?”

Alana sighed, really not wanting to go through the whole story again but realizing she had no choice. “They were chasing me and reached out to grab me when they suddenly stopped and screamed before a bright flash of light filled the room.” She pointed to the crystal still hanging from her neck. “I believe this had all to do with it.” She unfastened the pendant and handed it to him.

She watched as the Doctor picked up the crystal, appearing amazed as he closely studied it.

“It seemed to be glowing and I thought I'd heard it humming just before the aliens screamed.”

“Hm.” He continued studying the crystal intricately, lips pursed as if trying to decipher some complex riddle. After a moment he turned to face them.“Well, perhaps it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I believe this Telenium crystal was toxic to them.” His face suddenly broke out in a triumphant grin. “Jervis, you cheeky devil!! I knew you were a good egg!” His smile quickly faded. “ … Well, apart from that business of throwing Jamie in prison,” he added quietly.

Alana gazed at him in confusion before turning to Jamie who simply shrugged and gave her a smile. Perhaps it was best she didn't know ...

“Well, I think it's about time we go find your mum,” the Doctor said, eyeing her seriously as he returned the necklace to her.

Alana tensed up once again but merely nodded. As she followed the Doctor and Jamie toward the front of the room, she silently hoped these monsters hadn't hurt her mum at all.

“What if we run into anymore of those beasties, Doctor?”

“I doubt that will be a problem, Jamie,” he replied, nodding to the crystal around Alana's neck.

* * *

“So, this is the basement area,” the Doctor declared. “Hmm, bit dark down here, isn't it?”

“I've no idea where they keep the torches,” Alana told him apologetically.

“Oh, that's no problem,” he replied glibly, holding up his screwdriver. Within barely a moment, a bright, blue light emanated from the tip and did a good job of illuminating the cavernous area. After having run into and defeated more Zarbis along the way, he was surprised to find the area deserted.

Something appeared to catch Jamie's eye and he'd wandered over to a far wall.

“Jamie, don't wander off,” the Doctor called, distracted as he tried to figure out where they could possibly be holding Zoe. Before he could say another word, the room quickly brightened.

“A- _hem_.”

The Time Lord turned to look behind him and found Jamie standing next to what was obviously a light switch, the corner of his mouth twitching into a slight smirk.

“Good work, Jamie,” he continued, looking away in embarrassment just after catching the grin that lit up Alana's face.

“Now, if I were a giant insect keeping a human captive, what teeny little nook or cranny would I stow her away in?” he said aloud.

They had walked a few more yards into a more central part of the room when a strange object caused the Doctor to stop short. His eyes bugged out at the sight of the large, metal cage, its shape nearly resembling an ant nest.

“Oh, well, that's certainly not nook-ish or cranny-ish,” he uttered just before his gaze fell upon the woman captive inside. She was restrained somehow and appeared to be struggling to free herself. As he approached a bit closer and got a good look at her, a twinge of emotion rippled through his hearts. Zoe hardly looked a day older than she was the last time he'd ever seen her. The only difference was her dark hair was now more of a dirty blonde and styled differently. Disciplining himself to focus on what she was struggling against, he found some sort of fibrous, sticky material binding her wrists and ankles together. His eyes narrowed as he studied it.

He was pulled from his concentration by the sound of someone's breath hitching and he lifted his gaze. Zoe seemed to get the impression someone was watching her as she had stopped struggling and met his eyes.

“Doctor??” she uttered quietly, her eyes widened in apparent shock.

The Time Lord gazed at her with a sad smile. “Yes, Zoe. It's me. And we're going to get you out of here.” The door to the cage was fastened shut by a material much like that which seemed to have her wrists and ankles bound. Powering his sonic screwdriver, he held it up to the door's latch, disintegrating the material quickly. Swinging the door open, he approached her, taking her hands.

“Hold still,” he coaxed. He quickly disintegrated her bonds with the screwdriver and repeated the process on her ankles.

Zoe stared tentatively down at them for a moment before standing up and testing her wrists and legs. Not seeming injured at all, she visibly relaxed.

Still, the Doctor had to make sure. “You all right?”

“Yes,” she replied, taking the Doctor's outstretched hand and exiting the cage. He caught her frowning as she briefly turned back toward it before regarding him again in overwhelming relief. She rushed up to him and appeared ready to grab him in a hug when she stopped, her eyes widening in fear. “Where's --”

“Mum!” Alana suddenly cried behind him. He turned to find her running up to Zoe, throwing her arms around her and hugging her tightly. They stayed in each other's arms for a good, long while, Zoe visibly shuddering as if overwhelming relief had overtaken the worry that had to have been consuming her.

As he looked on, the Time Lord was unable to stop the smile that threatened to crack his face in half. Hearing the sound of soft footsteps next to him, he turned to find Jamie at his side, a soft smile on his face as he watched them.

Finally, mother and daughter parted somewhat, Zoe gazing at her daughter with a watery smile. “I'm so glad you're safe,” she told Alana, her voice faltering.

“Of course, I am, Mum.” Alana turned to gesture to her friends, her tear-stained face unmistakable. “The Doctor looked after me.”

At that moment, Zoe looked beyond her and locked eyes with the Time Lord. Her eyes were heavy with emotion as she smiled gratefully. The Doctor simply nodded, his lips lifting into a smile of his own.

“And Jamie gave me this,” Alana continued, gesturing to the pendant around her neck.

Zoe appeared to study it briefly before her brow furrowed. “Jamie?” She looked beyond her daughter once again, her eyes questioning as she met the Doctor's gaze. Ah, yes. Her confusion was understandable. How was he going to explain this?

She then seemed to finally notice Jamie beside him. “But, how...?” she began, looking quite confused.

A faint smile briefly twitched at the Doctor's lips. “He's not the Jamie you're thinking of,” he told her softly. “He's ...”

“Wee Jamie,” Zoe finished, her eyes lit up in recognition.

Jamie nodded and then tentatively approached her. “Aunt Zoe,” he said simply as he gazed at her. Without warning, he gathered her into a hug. “It's so good tae see you again,” he told her, his voice thick with emotion. “I mean, I'm so glad ye're unharmed.”

After a moment he separated from her and she smiled fondly as she took in his appearance. “You look so much like you're dad, it's scary,” she told him.

The Doctor noticed a slight blush across Jamie's cheeks as he approached them. “I've never been one to enjoy breaking up a reunion, but we should probably get back to the Wheel.” He held up his screwdriver. “I haven't picked up any other signatures belonging to the Zarbi but we still shouldn't take any chances. We'll have a look in on the crew, see how they're doing and then be on our way. Sound good?”

The three briefly shared a look before nodding and making their way back to him. The Doctor smiled as he led the way out of the basement area, having Alana – replete with Telenium necklace – stick close by him in case they ran into any nasty surprises.

* * *

Zoe smiled as the nurse attending to her left the medical bay. Although she insisted she was fine, they had her undergo a medical evaluation just to be safe. The nurse had just informed her she had passed her medical evaluation and was free to leave as soon as the chief medical examiner returned.

“I'm so relieved you're all right, Mum,” Alana told her.

Zoe felt her smile widen. Her daughter had kept her company nearly the entire time, filling her in on everything that had happened, from her contacting the Doctor to their ultimate tangle with the Zarbi. Zoe was more than relieved that no one on the Wheel or at the relay station had been killed, as well as grateful to the Doctor for having kept Alana safe. She was also grateful to Wee Jamie for his part in it as well.

Hmm, no, make that 'Jamie.' Given his age, he probably would object to anyone referring to him as such, especially if he was as much like his father as he appeared. Zoe grinned inwardly as the thought reminded her of her very first encounter with him.

A knock on the doorjamb pulled her from her thoughts and she lifted her gaze to see Jamie tentatively sticking his head inside.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Of course, Jamie,” she replied with a smile. Her gaze suddenly fell upon her daughter who smiled as well, although there seemed to be a little something more to it.

“Hello,” Jamie told her as he approached her, smiling shyly. “How are ye feelin'?”

Zoe shrugged. “They said I passed my evaluation with flying colors. I should be free to leave as soon as the medical examiner arrives to discharge me.”

Jamie nodded, a soft smile on his face. “Good. I'm so glad those beasties didnae hurt ye.” His expression suddenly grew concerned. “They didnae, did they?”

She was touched by his concern, but still failed to silence the amused giggle that bubbled up from her stomach. “No, they didn't, Jamie. The worst of it was dragging me like a rag doll and imprisoning me in that odd cage of theirs. I've had much worse. I doubt they would have done much to me otherwise.”

“Aye, well, we don' know that for sure,” he said, his expression turning dark for a split second. “It's a good thing we'd arrived when we had, eh?” He turned and nodded to Alana.

As he met Zoe's gaze she smiled again, giving a slight shake of her head. “I can't believe how long it's been since I'd last seen you. You were – what, six years old?”

“Aye. Somethin' like that,” he told her with an awkward nod.

“How are your parents doing? What's your dad up to?”

“They're verra well. They're both still working. Da enjoys his job so much wi' the reenactments, 'specially of the Risings. I reckon he'll never give it up.” He chuckled.

Zoe grinned fondly. “I can't imagine he would.” She stopped and studied the young man. Goodness, when she'd first laid eyes upon him earlier she thought she was looking at his father. He resembled him so much, from the clothes right down to the haircut.

“Zoe?”

She felt a blush rising in her cheeks and her gaze flew down to her hands. “Sorry. It's just that …” She trailed off, shaking her head as she returned her gaze to him. “I can't believe how much you resemble your dad.”

A bright blush diffused across his cheeks and he seemed to take great a interest in the tied string at one of his shirt cuffs (and was that his father's shirt??). “'Tis a long story,” he muttered.

Zoe chuckled softly.

“Ah! Thought I'd find you all in here!” a familiar voice suddenly declared. Zoe's gaze flew over to the doorway where she found the Doctor, a happy smile on his face as he stuck his head inside.

“So, how are you feeling? Are you free to leave this jail anytime soon?” the Time Lord asked as he made his way up to them.

Zoe resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead smiled at him. “Yes, soon, Doctor!”

“Ah, good, 'cos I've got something important to show you.” She regarded him expectantly as his brow suddenly furrowed in thought. “Actually, I _could_ just tell you about it ...”

Zoe gave him an encouraging nod.

“I'd taken a sample of the Zarbi remains back with us and studied it in the TARDIS lab.” Zoe chuckled inwardly as Jamie pulled a face of disgust. “And guess what I found? It was the Telenium that was deadly to them.”

Alana cocked her head to the side as she regarded him in confusion. “How?”

“Well, apparently it's due to the composition of their exoskeletons,” he replied. “You may remember from biology class that insects have an exoskeleton made of chitin.”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Alana replied as Zoe nodded.

“Oh, aye,” Jamie added, seeming a bit sheepish.

“Here's the interesting thing,” the Doctor continued. “I compared the sample with a regular insect specimen from Earth, which didn't seem to react in the presence of the Telenium.” He stopped to give Alana back her necklace. “But it turns out the Zarbi's exoskeleton composition includes some other substances in addition to the chitin, and that must have been what made the difference.”

“What other substances, Doctor?” Zoe asked.

He narrowed his eyes. “Well, er, I don't quite know. Haven't got that far yet. But the bottom line? The Telenium reacted with these substances to produce an unstable compound, which in turn made them explode.”

Zoe nodded thoughtfully and turned to find her daughter with a similar reaction. “And you'd given this necklace to her?” she asked the Doctor.

The Time Lord seemed shocked by the question. “Er, uh ... no,” he replied after a beat.

“I told you earlier, Mum. Jamie gave it to me,” Alana said.

Zoe's eyebrows shot up. “Oh.”

Recovering, she found Jamie blushing and gazing down at his hands. “I, er … well,” he stammered, “Jervis said it had protective properties, an' ... I jus' thought it looked pretty on her, is all ...”

Zoe couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face. This young man really seemed to like her daughter. She found it a bit funny considering how different things had been between her and his dad. But on further reflection, she decided it was sweet and was grateful to him for going to so much trouble to protect Alana.

She also noted how Alana's smile grew as she looked at him. Yes, there was definitely something more going on. She had seen that look on her daughter's face concerning other boys in the past, all of which hadn't amounted to anything, sadly.

“Jamie?”

“Mm?” he muttered, looking back at her questioningly.

“Thank you. Thank you for looking after Alana.”

Alana's face suddenly turned bright pink. “Oh, Mum,” she huffed, clearly embarrassed.

Jamie apparently had ignored that little exchange. “Don' mention it, Zoe.” He then turned to her daughter, smiling as he met her gaze. “It was my pleasure.”

Alana's embarrassment seemed to subside as she smiled affectionately at him.

“Ahem!”

They all turned to find the Doctor regarding them pointedly, hands held out expectantly and an almost insulted expression upon his face.

“Oh, Doctor, of course I hadn't forgotten you,” Zoe said with a laugh. Calming down, she held her arms out. “Come here.”

The Time Lord's expression melted as he approached her and then hugged her tightly.

“Not only did you help keep my daughter safe, but you saved me as well,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder. “I can't thank you enough for that.”

“And you don't need to thank me,” the Doctor returned. Separating from her, he stood back and smiled. “Well, I suppose we ought to get going now.”

“Oh, do you really have to?” Alana asked sadly.

“We really should,” he replied. “You've got some work to do putting things back after that little invasion attempt and we'd just be in the way.”

“Oh, come on, Doctor. That's nonsense and you know it,” Zoe spoke up, regarding him with mock disapproval.

“Aye!” Jamie added, looking a bit put out himself. “How would we be in the way?”

“Can't you just stay a little longer?” Alana pleaded. “I'd like to show Jamie more of what I do at work, and you and Mum could catch up --”

“No. We really should leave,” the Doctor interrupted firmly, although his eyes seemed tinged with regret. “But we can come back.”

“You can,” the girl repeated with a frown. “But will you?”

Zoe turned briefly to her daughter, her heart breaking when she caught the almost crushed look in her eyes.

“Yes. We will. I promise,” the Doctor said firmly. Zoe then noticed him locking eyes with her, nodding.

She gazed back at him, suddenly realizing exactly what he was communicating. She gave him a wan smile as she nodded back. He then approached her swiftly, capturing her in a hug.

“See you later, Zoe,” he murmured.

“Yes, Doctor,” she replied, her voice faltering slightly.

Once she'd separated from him, she found Alana rushing up to Jamie and likewise throwing her arms around him, looking as if she didn't want to let go. Poor girl really seemed taken to this young man who'd gone out of his way to keep her safe. And now was saying goodbye to him, unsure of when or if she'd see him again.

But, no, she had to believe the Doctor.

And she had to have a talk with her daughter. Right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It occurred to me while I was going back through this chapter and the previous one that I hadn't spent any time on Zoe's actual imprisonment, at least from her POV. There is a good (I think?) reason for that. I wanted to concentrate more on her daughter's POV, as well as her interaction with Jamie and the Doctor. I thought this would be important considering how I wanted this story to end up, especially if there was any opportunity for her to return at some point in the future. And here is a picture of Jamie and Alana from early in the chapter, in their space suits after having recovered from the blast and wondering where the Doctor got off to. As for Jamie calling Zoe "Aunt Zoe", this is a callback to my story "Reunion" in the previous series, where as a child Jamie had referred to Zoe this way.


	7. Six

The Doctor stood over the TARDIS console, frowning in thought. He'd activated the dematerialization circuit but hadn't set a course for anywhere in particular. He wasn't quite sure where they should go, to be honest. He'd decided to leave that up to Jamie.

An incessant tapping noise nearby pulled him from his thoughts and he lifted his gaze to find a glum Jamie leaning on top of the console, one hand holding up his chin while the fingers of his other hand drummed on top of the console.

The Doctor watched him sadly, his hearts overflowing with sympathy. It was obvious he was quite taken to Zoe's daughter. He himself wished they could have stayed longer; he would have loved to catch up more with his old friend. But it really was for the best.

Of course, there was also the possibility they could come back and the subject about which the Time Lord had communicated to Zoe just before they had left. She had seemed to approve for which he was glad, but it was never a sure thing and he wasn't exactly sure what would happen.

Still, he hated seeing Jamie standing around, sulking.

“Jamie,” he started.

Jamie stopped, straightened up and leveled a scowl at him. “I still don' understand why ye were in such a hurry tae leave.”

The Doctor held his gaze pointedly. “They had their hands full getting the Wheel back in order after the Zarbis invaded. You know that.”

Jamie's scowl deepened as he looked away from the Time Lord, arms folded across his chest.

“What good would it do for us to just hang back there and watch? We'd be nothing but a distraction to them.”

Jamie spun back around at that. “That's the daftest thing I've ever heard,” he retorted, jaw set angrily. “We could've helped them.”

“I'm sorry, Jamie,” the Doctor muttered, eyes filled with regret as he gazed at his young friend. “But we had to leave. We can always visit again. We _will_ visit again.”

“Oh, aye. An' ye think she can get us back there at the same time an' place??” He made a sweeping gesture with his hands, obviously referring to the TARDIS ...

… And she was obviously not happy to hear it, judging from the way the lights suddenly dimmed and she slightly lurched back and forth.

Jamie winced and gazed contritely up at the ceiling. “Och, sorry!”

She apparently accepted his apology as the chaos subsided and the room brightened back up.

Jamie offered the console a brief glare and then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Mebbe we should just go back to Earth for a wee while.”

The Doctor regarded him incredulously. “Earth?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied weakly. “That way, at least I can check up on my parents.”

The Doctor felt his hearts breaking as he gazed at the young man. Goodness, he appeared so miserable. Perhaps he should set them back on a course for the Wheel. Zoe and Alana might quite surprised to see them again so soon, but he doubted they would mind ...

“Earth, you said? Sounds wonderful!” a voice suddenly chirped behind them. The Doctor's eyebrows shot up as he slowly turned to find … nothing.

A few seconds later, Alana emerged from the corridor and stepped into the room.

So, apparently she had sneaked aboard. 'Like mother, like daughter, apparently,' the Time Lord thought, recovering for a brief moment before he regarded her once again in near shock.

He turned to find Jamie staring at her, his jaw slack. “B-but I thought that … “ He stopped, seeming at a loss for words. “How did ye get here?”

“I had a look inside while Mum, Dad and the crew were seeing you off.” The girl gave a slight shrug, as if it were no big deal. “Sorry, but the door was open.”

Jamie whipped his head around and met the Doctor's gaze, regarding him in confusion.

The Time Lord's eyes narrowed as he gazed thoughtfully at her. “You want to come with us?”

Alana nodded. “Yes. I do.”

Jamie's face seemed to reflect a jumble of emotion: some leftover shock, perhaps even relief at seeing her again and something that seemed akin to hope. He turned back to the Doctor, eyes pleading. “Can't she come with us, Doctor?”

The Doctor regarded her in concern. “What about your mother? Won't she be worried when she finds you've gone?”

Alana shook her head. “I'd spoken with her about it before you left. She was a bit reluctant at first but made me promise I'd come back safe and sound.” An amused grin lit up her face. “She also said she didn't have that much room to talk considering she'd stowed away on board your ship herself.”

The Doctor chuckled. “I'll give her that.” He then looked from her to Jamie, whose encouraging smile threatened to melt his hearts. A broad grin broke out on his face. “Oh, why not? Though I should warn you, it may not all be fun and games.” He gestured to Jamie. “He can back me up on that.”

“I don't expect it to be,” she returned with a smile that made her appear wise beyond her years. Not an easy task for a girl who didn't seem older than her late teens.

The Doctor eyed her seriously for a moment and then nodded. “All right. But the moment you've had enough, let me know and I'll bring you straight back to the Wheel. Don't want your mum worrying.”

She nodded once again. “Understood.” A thought suddenly appeared to come to her. “And I can still keep in contact with her via those communicators.” She turned to gaze around the room. “You've still got yours, haven't you?”

“Aye, somewhere,” Jamie replied, appearing a bit sheepish as he looked away.

The Doctor also looked away, whistling.

“Well, as long as I'm here, perhaps I can help find it.” Turning back around, he found her gazing at them stone-faced until her eyes twinkled and her face lit up in an impish grin, the kind so reminiscent of her mum. He also thought he saw her give a surreptitious wink to Jamie. The Time Lord found it difficult to suppress a chuckle.

“So,” he began, “Are you up for a visit to Earth, near the turn of the twenty-first century, perhaps?”

She seemed to think it over for a moment and then smiled, almost excitedly. “Oh, yes. I'm very curious to see how primitive things were back then.”

Jamie playfully rolled his eyes. “Oh, aye. Ye're curious tae see how everything was before we all lived in space an' wore Buck Rogers inspired clothing,” he joked, gesturing towards her outfit. Alana must have realized it wasn't a compliment as her confused expression morphed into a scowl. Jamie held his hands up in surrender and gave her a gentle smile.

“We're also making a trip so Jamie can visit with his parents,” the Doctor told her. “I'm sure his dad would be pleased to see you again, considering the history you have together.”

She looked absolutely perplexed. “History?”

“Aye. Ye see, my da was one of the ones who found me and yer mum in that prison cell.” A faint blush stained his cheeks and he looked away as he began rubbing his hand back and forth over the hair at the nape of his neck. “In fact, he … er ...”

The Doctor grinned at his very obvious discomfort. “How about letting your dad tell the story, Jamie?”

Jamie simply nodded while Alana gave a shrug. Smiling, the Doctor bent over the console and set the TARDIS on a course for Earth. At times, his gaze drifted over to Jamie and Alana. He couldn't help but notice the young man smiling fondly at her as he took her hand and directed her attention toward the screen. Admittedly, it was nice to see them grow so close.

Zoe herself seemed to approve of the idea. He had to wonder what Jamie Sr would think.

* * *

Double checking to make sure they were on target to their destination, Doctor tapped a few keys on the TARDIS console and smiled in satisfaction. He'd set her on a 'cruise control' of sorts, flying her a bit slower than usual to give them a bit more time before they arrived on Earth.

Part of the reason for this was to give Alana a tour of the ship. She'd admitted she was quite curious to see the various nooks and crannies contained therein. She had marveled in particular at the garden room and swimming pool, and seemed quite impressed with the laboratory. Actually 'quite impressed' may have been an understatement. Her eyes had widened and her face lit up much like a kid in a sweet shop.

The Doctor chuckled to himself upon that memory. He'd since left her and Jamie to return to the console room and, absentmindedly staring at the computer monitor, began wondering how much time had passed. It had to have been quite a while.

He suddenly picked up on the sound of footsteps behind him and wheeled around to find Jamie entering the room. The Time Lord's instant smile quickly faded and his brow furrowed as he looked beyond his young friend. “Where's Alana?”

“She'd gone back tae Zoe's room,” Jamie replied. “Said she wanted tae have another look around.” He approached closer, briefly turning as if to make sure Alana couldn't somehow overhear and then leaned into the Doctor. “If ye ask me, Doctor, I think she's grown a wee bit emotional over the idea of her mum havin' traveled wi' ye as well.”

The Time Lord couldn't stop the grin that instantly spread across his face. “Much like you did, young Jamie,” he reminded him.

He bit back a chuckle as Jamie's cheeks flushed and he looked away as he nodded. The Doctor good-naturedly patted his shoulder before returning his attention to the screen in front of him. After several moments he turned again to find Jamie still there.

“Something the matter?” he asked, eyebrows raised questioningly.

Jamie seemed confused as he shook his head. “I was jus' thinkin' aboot what Alana said, that she'd talked to Zoe an' Zoe had told her it was all right for her tae come with us.”

The Doctor shrugged. “Well, I did leave the door open for her to join us, in a way.” Jamie looked even more confused and the Time Lord held up his hand apologetically. “In the medical bay when I had promised Alana we would return I did what you could call a telepathic communication with Zoe. I'd asked her if Alana ever wished to go for a ride with us, would she approve? She responded in the affirmative.”

Jamie stared at him in shock for a moment. “I, er … I didnae know ye could do that,” he said.

“Oh, yes,” the Doctor replied gravely. “I'll demonstrate.” He earnestly held the young man's gaze and opened up a channel to communicate with his mind. Just as Zoe had done and his dad before him, Jamie agreed to let the Doctor in.

The Time Lord decided to go easy, communicating one simple message to him:

_So, are you going to show her your Highlander video collection?_

He watched Jamie crack an amused grin just before he replied:

_No' sure I wish tae scare the lassie off._

The Doctor grinned back and nodded briefly in understanding. His grin faded and he stared intensely at Jamie once again, preparing to close the communication channel.

The process having completed, Jamie took a deep breath and then stared up at the Doctor, still appearing in disbelief but now impressed as well.

The Doctor simply smiled. “Anyway, I didn't expect Alana to sneak on board before we had left.” His smile faded. “Though perhaps I should have after her mum had done the same thing. Oh, well, it doesn't seem Zoe will be too worried if what Alana said is true. And I've no reason to doubt her.”

Jamie nodded in agreement but still seemed unsettled if the frown on his face was any indication.

“What?” the Doctor prompted.

Jamie paused as if trying to gather his thoughts before he regarded the Doctor with an expression of disapproval. “Well, ye made it seem so final when we were leaving. I mean, I really thought we were no' gonna see them again. I wish ye hadnae made me think that, Doctor.”

“It wasn't going to be final, Jamie. We always had the option to come back and visit. I'd never wish to keep us away from Zoe and Alana and I hadn't meant to make you think that on purpose. I suppose I should have been more upfront with you about it.” He gazed at his friend contritely. “I'm so sorry.”

Jamie looked away and sighed once more. His discontent expression had melted as he gazed sheepishly up at the Doctor. “Don' be. I should never have thought it in the first place. Even if she can't always get us to where we want tae go.” He quickly gazed up at the ceiling, holding up his hands in surrender. “Jus' havin' ye on!” He grinned playfully and winked as the TARDIS lights blinked in acknowledgment.

The Doctor waved as he looked up at the ceiling with an innocent smile. “You're lucky she likes you so much,” he told Jamie with a teasing smile.

* * *

“So, how was yer sandwich? Good, I hope?”

“Yes, quite good. I've never had food like this before. All our food on the Wheel is in cube format.”

Jamie nodded, eyeing her sympathetically. He'd never experienced such things himself, but his father had once told him about the food machine in the TARDIS, as well as other times he'd had food cubes. The Doctor had obviously expanded his selection of food and methods of food preparation at some point and Jamie was glad for it.

He liked seeing Alana's reaction to trying late twentieth-century food on Earth. She seemed quite curious and, dare he say, almost excited at the prospect. His mum had made roast beef for dinner last night and the girl could not stop raving about how good it was. Jamie grinned at the memory.

Speaking of which, it was so good to see his parents again. Not that he had been gone all that long, but he was relieved to find them well. Thinking back to himself introducing them to Alana, he felt himself smiling broadly. His da seemed nearly shocked at how much she resembled Zoe and couldn't help but tell her about how he had helped bring her into the world. He had also told them some stories about his time with Zoe back when they traveled with the Doctor.

He was pleased at how much his parents seemed to like her, his mum going so far as to set up the guest room for Alana to sleep in, show her where everything was and have a nice chat with her.

And, no, Jamie hadn't shown her his Highlander video collection. He did briefly explain to her what they did for entertainment and showed her a VHS cassette as an example, but that was as far as it went. He doubted she'd be all that interested in them and didn't want to make a bad impression.

And he had now taken her on a 'date' of sorts to the sandwich shop he quite enjoyed. He nearly assumed she'd scoff at how 'primitive' things were here, but she actually seemed to find it all interesting and perhaps something of a novelty.

Jamie drifted from his thoughts once he caught her gazing at him. Locking eyes with her, he smiled affectionately. “I'm glad ye liked it. Ready tae go?”

“Mm-hm,” she said with a nod.

“All right,” he began, rising from his seat and leading the way to the shop's front door. “There's a nice park I wanted tae show ye -”

“Jamie?” another voice suddenly piped up.

He'd nearly reached the door when he froze and wheeled around to come face-to-face with another girl.

Not just any girl. Susan John. The Susan John he had a silly crush on but wouldn't give him the time of day.

“Susan,” he returned quietly, regarding her in surprise. Her wavy, dark blonde hair had been straightened and she was wearing a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt over a purple shirt with a low neck and boot-cut jeans. In her hand she held a brown paper bag, obviously having got takeaway.

She seemed to be trying for an awkward smile and Jamie simply nodded to her before turning to Alana, gesturing for them to leave. Hoping she'd get the hint that he wasn't interested in talking, he headed for the door. But she followed.

“I'm leaving anyway,” she said with a shrug.

Taking Alana's hand, he walked briskly with her away from the shop and in the direction of the park. “It's just down this road,” he said.

They had soon reached the park and Jamie started scoping the area, looking for the perfect place for them to sit. He caught Susan in his peripheral vision, also looking about the park. 'Probably looking for William,' he thought sardonically.

Whatever she was doing, she seemed to be taking an interest in him and smiled as she approached. “Good to see you, Jamie,” she said. “What have you been up to?”

Jamie shrugged. “I've been all over, doin' this an' that.” Goodness, this was uncomfortable. He could only imagine what Alana was thinking.

Desperately looking for a distraction, he finally spotted an empty bench near some rows of flowers, pointing it out to Alana.

Susan was still commanding his attention however as she stepped closer. She stared at him as if she were studying him.

“Susan?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

The corner of her mouth lifted into a slight smirk. “Well, that's certainly different,” she remarked, gesturing to his clothes. Before he could react, her smirk eased into a soft smile. “But I like it. It suits you.”

Jamie stared at her, mouth hanging open. “Uh …... thank you.”

“I see you got your hair cut as well,” she continued. “I like it very much. It's sort of like a retro Beatles style.”

Jamie briefly nodded before reminding himself her praise was most likely insincere. It had to be, given how uninterested she usually acted towards him. Surely something as simple as a change of wardrobe and hairstyle wouldn't be enough to win her over.

His eyes narrowed and he frowned at her. “Is William Finch no' available?” he asked coldly.

Her cheeks flushed. “I was never in love with Bill. He was merely a passing thought.”

Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Oh, aye. Sure he was.”

Her blush appeared to deepen and she looked away. “Besides that, he's gone on holiday to Malta … with Allison Clayton.”

Noting how uncomfortable she appeared, Jamie found it hard to resist a smirk. He suddenly heard the sound of someone clearing her throat alongside him. Alana was looking at the girl curiously, eyes narrowed as if studying her. Jamie turned to briefly acknowledge her before turning back to the other girl.

“Oh, er … Susan, this is Alana,” he introduced them. Alana simply nodded in a prim way as she forced a thin smile.

Susan didn't react for a moment before nearly doing a double take. “Oh, I'd no idea you had a younger sister, Jamie.”

Jamie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he turned to find Alana bristling. “I beg your pardon. I am _not_ his younger sister.”

Jamie groaned inwardly as Susan folded her arms across her chest, a challenging smirk of sorts on her face. “Oh, really? I know some blokes are into younger girls but this is embarrassing.” Her eyes narrowed cruelly as she looked at Alana. “She's got to be, what, twelve? Fourteen at the most?”

Jamie's jaw set in a glare. “Leave her alone,” he started.

Before he could say anything else, Alana rushed up to the girl, nearly getting in her face. “Actually, I'm eighteen and three months. And, no, we're not in a relationship.

Hearing this, Jamie couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment deep down. Perhaps it was true – they weren't in a relationship officially – but it nearly hurt to hear her saying it. And he almost couldn't believe he was feeling this way.

“I'll say you've got a lot of cheek for being so snide towards him when it's obvious he really liked you,” Alana continued. “You must think he's an idiot, but that couldn't be further from the truth.”

Susan appeared stunned speechless. Jamie himself was gazing at Alana in surprise, not expecting her to defend him like this.

“I can't believe you're not together,” Susan finally shot back, “judging from how much she's defending you here.” She then shrugged. “Oh, well, if you'd rather be with a little robot, that's your choice,” she said coolly.

It all happened so quickly. Jamie caught Alana's eyes widening in anger before she shoved him out of the way. She took a swing at the other girl, landing a punch right in her face and nearly knocking her off her feet. The bag she'd been carrying tumbled to the ground.

Recovering slightly, Susan had come up behind Alana, grabbing her by the torso when the smaller girl quickly grabbed one of her hands, twisted herself out of the hold and twisted Susan's arm behind her before landing a swift knee to her stomach.

Jamie stood, staring at them both in shock. Susan had somehow managed to keep from falling over and held her nose in pain, eyes widened in disbelief. She said not a word as Alana, appearing totally emotionless, picked up her bag and simply handed it to her. The other girl stared a moment longer before turning around and stalking off.

Alana turned back to Jamie with what seemed to be a smile of satisfaction. He himself was still in shock over what she had done … it was almost like some martial arts moves. He's nearly found himself impressed. “Where did ye learn that?”

“Mum taught me some time ago,” she replied nonchalantly.

Jamie chuckled a bit and then nearly felt badly about it. He hopes Susan wasn't in any great pain, although she had been able to walk away just fine. Oh, why was he even entertaining the thought? This girl had been rude not only to him but Alana as well.

He briefly smiled at her and then turned his attention to the scenery stretching out before them. He was happy to see the bench he'd earlier spotted was still empty.

“Come on, let's sit down,” he coaxed her softly. Nodding, she took his hand and he guided her over to it. It was a sturdy bench surrounded by beds of flowers on both sides and there was a bit of shade thanks to the nearby trees and hedges.

Once Alana had sat down, Jamie joined her, stretching his arm around her. He almost expected her to flinch but it never happened. Rather, she leaned into his touch.

For a moment they just sat and took in the gorgeous sights around them. Jamie's gaze shifted to Alana after a while. The content smile on her face warmed his heart. Something was eating at him, however.

“Can I ask ye somethin'?”

She turned to him and nodded, looking almost concerned.

“Are ye sure ye wish tae join me an' the Doctor? I won't be upset if ye say no.” Actually, he would be crushed, but he wasn't about to tell her that. It wouldn't be fair.

Her serious countenance melted and was replaced by an impish grin. “You're a very poor liar, Jamie,” she told him. An uncomfortable heat rose in his cheeks. She must have noticed, given her gentle laugh. “But of course I'm sure.”

He smiled gratefully at her, although deep down he was grinning like a complete idiot. His smile faded as another thought struck him and he gazed at her curiously. “By the way, how did ye know I had liked Susan?”

There was that teasing grin again. “Oh, come on. It was all over your face when you first saw her in the shop. I may be not much more than an overly analytical scientist, but I can read people as well.” Her grin then widened. “And it's not as if you're so good at hiding these things yourself.”

Blushing, he nodded, conceding that. “Well, I hope ye don' think I'm interested in her. Because I'm no'.”

“Oh goodness, I hope not,” she joked before leaning against him once more. “Thank you for taking me to the sandwich shop. And for taking me here. It's a beautiful place, one I could only hope to read about in books on the Wheel.”

“There's no need tae thank me, lass,” he told her fondly as he held her hand. “An' ye're much more than an overly analytical scientist.” He suddenly noticed a handsome butterfly that had landed on a nearby tree branch and smiled as he pointed it out to her. She gazed at it in appreciation, almost bordering on awe.

Jamie sighed in contentment as he sat with her. It was a beautiful Spring day: sun shining, barely a breeze and the temperature quite mild. And to think he'd first met her in a dark, cold, dank prison all those years ago.

Despite all that had happened to get them here, it certainly was a lovely day for a reunion.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Susan got a brief mention in one of my previous stories, "Family Business." As for Alana's age, technically she should be around 16 since Jamie was 6 when she was born. But since time is relative, it turned out he and the Doctor had arrived at the Wheel two more years into her future. 
> 
> Here are a couple of pics: The Doctor and Jamie finding Alana had stowed away on the TARDIS, and Alana running into her at the park.I had fun writing this little story, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I do have plans for at least one more story for this series. Not sure when I'll start it, but hopefully before long.


End file.
